Tears As Kafanchan Diocese Mourns Murder Of Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
In a land where faith has long been a pillar of resilience, grief now weighs heavy.
The Diocese of Kafanchan is in mourning, grappling with the cruel reality of yet another life taken in a senseless act of violence.
Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu, ordained just four years ago, was abducted and brutally murdered on March 5, 2025.
His death is not an isolated tragedy but part of a disturbing pattern of kidnappings and killings targeting priests and faithful in Southern Kaduna.
A press release on the gruesome murder of Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu signed by Bishop Julius Kundi of Kafancha Diocese and made available to the press by the National Director of Social Communications, CSN, Rev. Fr. Michael Umoh, condemned the rising wave of violence, questioning how much longer religious leaders must live in fear.
The Diocese recalls other painful losses, from Catechist Raymond Ya’u in 2021 to the unresolved disappearance of Catechist Istifanus Katunku in 2024.
Communities across Kauru, Kaura, Lere, and Zangon Kataf have been plunged into fear, their livelihoods disrupted by relentless abductions and ransom demands.
The Diocese has called on the government and security agencies to take decisive action as “The blood of Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu and all other innocent souls cry out for justice!” the statement declared.
As the Church prays for the repose of Fr. Okechukwu’s soul, it also urges calm, insisting that justice, not retaliation must prevail.
