A wave of anguish has swept through the Anglican community and the people of Kaduna State following the heartbreaking death of Venerable Edwin Achi, an Anglican priest who was abducted alongside his wife, Mrs. Sarah Achi, by armed bandits.
The couple was violently taken from their home in the quiet Nissi community of Chikun Local Government Area, near the Kaduna Refinery, on October 28, 2025. What began as a nightmare for the family has now descended into tragedy.
In the days following their abduction, the bandits sent chilling photographs of the priest and his wife to their relatives. The images—now etched painfully in the memories of those who saw them—showed the couple weary, distressed, and surrounded by other captives, many of whom appeared chained, frail, and severely malnourished. The abductors demanded a staggering ₦600 million ransom.
But hope, however faint, was shattered this week.
In a grim development, it was confirmed that Venerable Achi, the Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero, succumbed to deteriorating health inside the kidnappers’ den. According to sources close to the family, his condition worsened rapidly, and he passed away in captivity—far from the comfort of home, far from the people he served with unwavering devotion.
The Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, announced the devastating news on Wednesday, sparking an outpouring of grief from parishioners, colleagues, and community members who remember Achi as a gentle, committed servant of God.
As of the time of this report, his wife, Sarah, remains in captivity, her fate uncertain, her family’s agony deepening with each passing hour.
The community now mourns not just a priest, but a husband, a leader, and a symbol of faith—lost in a crisis that has continued to plague innocent lives across the region.
