The Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) has expressed deep concern over the rising cases of abduction of Catholic priests across the country, describing the clergy as “soft targets” for kidnappers.
President of the Association and Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Chinedu Francis Akubueze raised the alarm at the opening of the 4th Annual Convention of OSAN, with the theme: “Insecurity: Navigating the complexities of nation building,” held in Abuja, Friday.
Akubueze lamented that many priests have fallen victim to kidnappers in recent times, with the Catholic Church often forced to pay huge ransom sums to secure their release.
According to him: “The clergy among us, who are also old seminarians, are increasingly becoming endangered species. Quite a number of them have been kidnapped, and the Church has paid heavy ransoms.
They have become attractive targets for kidnappers who wrongly assume that the Church is wealthy.”
