Rev. Fr. Bobbi Paschal, the Parish Priest of St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Kushe Gugdu, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has been killed by terrorists who abducted him earlier in the week.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna confirmed that the priest was taken from his residence during a violent attack on the parish in the early hours of November 17, 2025. Several other members of the community were also killed during the raid.
Human rights advocate, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, disclosed the killing in a post on X on Wednesday, saying the priest was murdered in the early hours of November 19. “Rev. Fr. Bobbi Paschal… was murdered by terrorists in the early hours of today. We are now in a callousness Olympiad!” he wrote.
Kagarko and neighbouring communities in southern Kaduna have long suffered unrelenting attacks by armed groups. Kidnappings, killings, and destruction of homes and farmlands have become routine, leaving residents traumatised and forcing many into displacement.
The killing of Fr. Paschal is the latest in a troubling trend of violence against religious leaders, especially in northern and central Nigeria, where priests and pastors have increasingly become targets of kidnapping and assassination.
His death also comes amid renewed global scrutiny of violence against Christian communities in Nigeria. While some international voices, particularly in the United States, describe the pattern as evidence of religious persecution, the Federal Government maintains that the attacks are carried out by criminal groups who target victims indiscriminately, regardless of faith.
Fr. Paschal’s murder has deepened fears among clergy and parishioners in Kaduna State, highlighting once again the deteriorating security situation and the urgency of stronger, more coordinated protection for vulnerable communities.
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