Crime scene
Representative Image UNSPLASH

A catholic priest was set afire at his residence in Niger state on Sunday, police said.

According to Wasiu Abiodun, a police spokesman, gunmen tried to break into Rev. Isaac Achi's home in Niger State's Paikoro region but were unsuccessful and instead set it on fire.

Another priest, Rev. Collins Omeh, who resided in the same complex was shot in the shoulder but managed to flee. "Unfortunately, the bandits reportedly attempted to gain entrance into the residence, which seemed difficult, so they set the house ablaze and the Catholic priest burned to death," Wasiu said, as per Reuters.

"The lifeless body of Father Isaac was recovered while Father Collins was rushed to the hospital for treatment."

Meanwhile, Nigeria's Christian Association has urged officials to look into the matter and take additional precautions to safeguard people. "Enough of the attacks and wanton killings of innocent Nigerian citizens," the chairman of the group, Bulus Yohanna, said, as reported by Premium Times.

The north and central parts of Nigeria are experiencing escalating levels of violence as armed groups prey on rural areas, killing thousands, and kidnapping innocent civilians for ransom.

Religious leaders like clergy are occasionally the targets of attacks in Nigeria. Rev. John Mark Chietnum was abducted in Kaduna state last year and later assassinated.

The killing, according to Niger state Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, signaled that no one was safe. "These terrorists have lost their minds, and drastic action is required to put an end to this ongoing carnage," he said, as per Voice of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, in another attack that took place hours later, terrorists broke into a Christian home in Dan Tsauni village in Katsina state and abducted five people as they were getting ready for Sunday service at a local church, Punch Reported.

Terrorism, banditry, religious conflict, herders-farmers conflict, and other factors have recently added insecurity in Nigeria's northwestern states, including Kaduna.

Human security and development are critical issues in the North West that cannot be overlooked. While the vast ungoverned regions that characterize the country's interior landscapes have also become staging grounds for brigandage and unrestrained violence, the scourge of rural banditry and terrorism has increased significantly in the country's northwestern border region, especially Kaduna.