One of four British missionaries kidnapped in the Nigeria’s Delta region has been killed, but three others were freed, government sources said. The four were kidnapped on Oct. 13.
The death of Ian Squire, an optician, was confirmed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. British and Nigerian authorities obtained the release of Alanna Carson, Dr. David Donovan, and Donovan’s wife, Shirley.
Nigerian authorities pledge to continue investigating the incident and to support the affected families.
The Donovans have lived in Nigeria for over 14 years. The couple ran New Foundations, a charity helping poor villagers in a remote part of the country.
Relatives of the released missionaries said they are “delighted and relieved” that Carson and the Donovans had returned safely.
“Our thoughts are now with the family and friends of Ian as we come to terms with his sad death,” they said in a joint statement.
John Martin
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
