Ndop Deanery: Archbishop Nkea gives ultimatum for gunmen to free kidnapped priest.

The cleric was abducted in Baba I, Ngoketunjia Division of the North West Region on November 15.

Archbishop Nkea condemned the abduction, describing it as acts of injustice and terror that violate the dignity of human life and obstruct the Church’s mission in an already battered region. 

“If Father Berinyuy is not released by Wednesday, November 26, all priests and religious working in Ndop Deanery must shut down parishes, schools, and Catholic institutions, withdraw the Blessed Sacrament from all chapels, leave tabernacles open, and evacuate the area,” Nkea warned. 

The drastic measure, he said, is necessary because neither the diocese nor the Christian communities can guarantee their safety any longer.

The prelate further announced that if by Friday, November 28, the priest remains in captivity, he, along with all priests, religious, and lay faithful will march to Baba I, the area where Father Berinyuy is believed to be held. 

“We shall either bring him back home, or remain there until he is released,” he declared.

The outspoken prelate equally lamented over the suffering of both clergy and lay people, citing widespread torture, extortion and intimidation. 

He stressed that the crisis rocking the two regions must end through dialogue and genuine commitment from all sides.

“I call on all the stakeholders in this crisis to do everything within their powers to bring this crisis to an end. The people of the North West and South West Regions have suffered enough and deserve to live in tranquillity and peace,” he noted.

Nkea also urged defence and security forces to “to be ethical in their relationship towards the people”. He appealed on them not to exploit or brutalise civilians.

The Archbishop entrusted the disturbing situation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, praying for the restoration of calm in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda.

No ransom to abductors 

Nkea, through the statement, maintained that the church is against payment of ransom as demanded by the abductors. 

“We have made our position clear that the Church never gives ransoms. The frequent kidnapping of our priests and mission personnel has pushed us to the wall, and we say that this should stop with immediate effect,” he stated firmly. 

He also called on all Catholics in the Archdiocese to recite the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel after Communion at every Mass, invoking divine intervention for Father Berinyuy’s release.

The abduction of Father John Berinyuy and six others occurred after the rededication of St. Joseph's Metropolitan Cathedral in Big Mankon, Bamenda on November 14. 

The Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, H.E. José Avelino Bettencourt, had presided the event and later inaugurated the PAX University in Ndop. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3635 of Monday November 24, 2025