In Nigeria's Edo state, gunmen stormed Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in the Diocese of Auchi the night of July 10, killing a security officer and abducting three seminarians, according to Aid to the Church in Need.

ACN "strongly condemns a deadly attack carried out on a seminary in Nigeria," the organization said in a July 11 statement.

According to the Diocese of Auchi, several gunmen stormed the seminary premises, opening fire. Christopher Aweneghieme, a member of the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps assigned to the seminary, was killed in the assault. Three minor seminarians were kidnapped and taken into the nearby bush, while the remaining students were temporarily relocated to a safe location as security protocols were reinforced.

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ACN, a pontifical foundation supporting local churches around the world that are struggling against religious persecution, said in a July 11 press release that it joined the Diocese of Auchi "in mourning the loss of Mr. Aweneghieme and in fervent prayer for the safe and swift release of the abducted seminarians."

"We stand in solidarity with the affected families and the Christian community, which continues to suffer the consequences of violence and instability," it said.

Bishop Gabriel Dunia of Auchi has called upon all priests in the diocese to celebrate Masses, offer Benediction and lead the faithful in praying the Rosary for divine protection throughout Edo state and Nigeria.

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The Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary, founded in 2006, has trained over 500 students for the priesthood and "remains a beacon of hope for the local Catholic  community," ACN said. It urged "all people of goodwill to join the faithful in prayer" for the repose of the soul of the victim and "for the unharmed release of the kidnapped seminarians."

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is experiencing deadly violence in several parts of the country from internationally recognized terror groups such as Boko Haram, from mainly Islamic Fulani herders, bandits or gangs. The groups have encroached on farmlands, threatening farm owners and forcing out Christians. Analysts have described this as slow, but silent persecution, which until now, authorities have not classified as terrorism.

In mid-June, after a scene of horror in which around 200 people were "brutally killed" in Yelwata, in Benue state, Nigeria, Pope Leo XIV prayed for the victims, calling it a "terrible massacre."

At the beginning of June, at least 85 people were killed in coordinated waves of attacks in a span of a week in Benue state. The Nigerian Church is also experiencing numerous kidnappings of priests.

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Fr. Alphonsus Afina, assigned to several parishes across Alaska from September 2017 through 2024, was abducted June 1 in Nigeria, his home country, along with an unspecified number of fellow travelers while in Nigeria's Borno state, near the northeastern town of Gwoza. Faithful on two continents are praying for his safe return. He remained kidnapped as of July 15.

In December, Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics released a report showing more than two million had been abducted between May 2023 and April 2024 alone, with 600,000 Nigerians killed and Nigerians paying some $1.42 billion (U.S.) in ransom — an average of $1,700 per incident — during that period.