In a nation increasingly marked by religious tension and rising insecurity, one man’s quiet courage is serving as a symbol of hope.
Fr. Clément Chimaobi Emefu, a Spiritan priest and Canon Law professor at the Spiritan International School of Theology (SIST) in Enugu State, Nigeria, is standing firm in the face of danger. “Those who threaten us with death make us stronger,” he says — words that resonate far beyond the lecture halls of his seminary.
Unlike Nigeria’s largely Muslim north, Enugu is a Christian-majority state. But Fr. Emefu warns that the lines of religious hostility are shifting. Attacks on Christians, once associated with jihadist strongholds in the north, are seeping into the south. He believes this is part of a broader “project of Islamization,” citing both overt violence and systemic neglect as tools of marginalization.
One of the most alarming trends is the surge in kidnappings targeting priests and religious figures. Over 200 abductions have occurred in the past decade, and the early months of 2025 have already seen a disturbing uptick. These clergy are often isolated — travelling alone to serve communities, hospitals, and schools — making them easy targets. The dilemma of ransom only deepens the crisis. While the Church holds firm against paying, the pressure from grieving families and the emotional toll of losing fellow clergy make every case a painful moral test.
The persecution is not always loud. Armed herders have become a near-constant threat, seizing farmland and displacing Christian landowners through intimidation. “It may not be officially called terrorism,” Fr. Emefu says, “but it’s a slow, silent war.”
Despite the danger, Fr. Emefu continues his ministry. His faith, he says, is not weakened by fear — it is forged by it. In a time of silence and suffering, his voice is a steady call to courage.
