The Anglican Bishop of Nigeria's Egba Diocese, Dr. Emmanuel Oludaisi Adekunle, is concerned over the worsening security situation in the country, describing the west African country's Christians as vulnerable targets of banditry and kidnapping.

Adekunle who is also chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Ogun State said the prevailing insecurity has forced many church leaders to abandon public displays of their clerical identity while travelling.

He said they do this to avoid being identified by criminal elements, Nigeria's The Guardian news outlet reported on Aug. 4.

Statistics also show other groups afflicted by banditry and kidnapping in Africa's most populous nation.

On the same day it was reported that pastors and members of various churches attended a Catholic funeral service on Aug. 1 for 27 Christians massacred by suspected Fulani terrorists in Nigeria's Kaduna state, Christian Today reported.

A funeral for three evangelical Christians slain in the same attack in a midnight attack in Naridon village Kauru County on July 26 was held earlier last week, a source said told the Christian publication.

Bishop Adekunle said, "Banditry is what we are facing generally now, including the church. I always tell people that an average Christian in Nigeria is already a target; the person may not even know it. How much more a minister of the Gospel," he said.

He noted that unlike in the past when bishops and pastors travelled openly in clerical attire, the new current security realities demand caution.

"If you want to travel today, you travel as a commoner. You conceal your identity so that you will not be easily recognised or picked by criminals," he explained.

The bishop, however, praised security agencies for their response to a recent kidnapping incident in Owo, Ondo State, praising the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the military, Amotekun Corps and local hunters for their coordinated efforts, which led to the rescue of victims.

          'REGIONAL COLLABOARATION'

The cleric appealed to governors across the South-West to deepen regional collaboration on security, insisting that greater synergy among Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states would strengthen the fight against criminality.

Adekunle also urged governments to provide modern equipment, including drones and surveillance technology, for the special military Amotekun operatives and others , whom he described as critical partners in tackling insecurity.

"They know the forests where conventional security agencies sometimes find it difficult to operate. They should be properly equipped because money is being appropriated for security," he said.

The bishop disclosed that the leadership of CAN had advised churches to scale down night vigils conducted in open environments to minimise security risks.

According to the World Data website, the total Christian Population in Nigeria in 2025 was between 95and 109 million people making up 43.4 percent to 48 percent of the population making the country the sixth largest ranking worldwide and the largest in Africa.

The population of Nigeria in 2025 was 227 million people with Muslims slightly outnumbering Christians.