Two Claretian missionary priests—Father Ken Kanwa and Father Jude Nwachukwu—were kidnapped on February 1, as the rash of kidnapping continues in Nigeria.
Catholic clerics are not the only victims of the kidnapping epidemic. Nigerian media reports count more than 3,000 kidnappings in the past year. With criminal gangs relying on ransom payments, investigators are looking into the large number (estimated at 5 million) of bank accounts opened in Nigeria under false identities; these accounts are believed to be used to accept ransom payments.