Ten years on, pain of Rev. Fr. John Adeyi’s death still fresh [IDOMA VOICE EDITORIAL]

Yesterday, April 24, 2026, marked exactly ten years since the abduction and killing of Rev. Fr. John Adeyi, then Vicar General (Pastoral) of the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, an event that shocked Benue State and resonated across Nigeria.

He was taken on a Sunday morning while on his way to carry out his priestly duties in his hometown.

What followed was a pattern that has since become all too familiar: ransom demands, desperate negotiations, and a community gripped by fear. In the end, the outcome was tragic.

He was killed by his abductors and his body was later found after months of uncertainty.

At the time, kidnapping for ransom was still emerging as a disturbing trend. A decade later, it has become deeply entrenched.

What once shocked the nation has now become a recurring reality. The scope of these crimes has expanded from highways to residential areas, with attackers increasingly targeting people in their homes.

Recent incidents portray the worsening situation. Victims are abducted from their residences and held under harsh conditions while families struggle to raise ransom. Some return with lasting trauma. Others never return at all.

This is more than a security concern. It speaks directly to the responsibility of government to protect lives and property.

While there have been efforts by security agencies, the persistence of these crimes suggests that more decisive action is needed.

Ten years after the death of Rev. Fr. John Adeyi, critical questions remain. Why has kidnapping become so widespread? What gaps in the system allow these crimes to continue? And what concrete steps are being taken to stop them?

The effects are evident. Public confidence is weakening, and many Nigerians no longer feel safe even in their own homes. Increasingly, people see leaving the country not as a choice for opportunity, but as an escape from insecurity.

This should not be the reality.

The memory of Rev. Fr. John Adeyi must serve as more than a moment of reflection. It should be a call to action. Addressing insecurity requires sustained commitment, accountability, and practical solutions that go beyond statements.

Nigeria must remain a place where people can live and work without fear.

Ten years on, that goal is yet to be fully realised. The urgency to act remains.
For people of Idoma community, it is already a decade of pain that refuses to fade away.

For the Idoma community, it is a decade of pain that has not faded, a loss that still lingers and a reminder that justice and security cannot be postponed indefinitely.