# Catholic leadership and religious persecution in Nigeria > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/catholic-leadership-and-religious-persecution-in-nigeria > Updated: 2026-08-25T10:08:41.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. Catholic leaders in Nigeria have emphasized the necessity of virtuous leadership and the challenges of religious persecution. In Abuja, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama called for accountability and service to the common good ahead of the 2027 elections, urging citizens to select leaders who embody Christian wisdom. In Makurdi, the ordination of fourteen new priests for the Diocese of Makurdi was presided over by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. During the ceremony, Cordileone addressed the intense religious persecution facing Nigerian clergy, noting that many suffer and die for their faith. He suggested that the physical martyrdom experienced by African Catholics serves as an example for Western societies facing spiritual crises. Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese further highlighted the risks to religious students, citing the 2020 killing of seminarian Michael Ikechukwu Nnadi by kidnappers in Kaduna State. Kukah used this instance of martyrdom to warn against the effects of secularization. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-25: Nigeria: Fourteen new priests ordained amid religious persecution Fourteen new priests were ordained in Nigeria's Makurdi Diocese as religious leaders highlight the ongoing persecution and martyrdom faced by the Nigerian Catholic clergy. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nigeria-fourteen-new-priests-ordained-amid-religious-persecution ### 2026-08-24: Catholic leaders in Nigeria call for virtuous leadership and service Catholic Archbishops in Nigeria have called for virtuous, service-oriented leadership and urged newly ordained priests to act as sacrificial ‘friends and fathers’ to their communities. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catholic-leaders-in-nigeria-call-for-virtuous-leadership-and-service --- Cite as: Catholic leadership and religious persecution in Nigeria. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/catholic-leadership-and-religious-persecution-in-nigeria