No fewer than 15 Catholic parishes in the Makurdi Diocese of Benue State have been forced to close due to persistent attacks on surrounding communities by suspected armed herders.
This was revealed on Sunday by the Chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association in Makurdi Diocese, Rev. Fr. Joseph Beba, during a press briefing at the Catholic Cathedral in Makurdi.
Fr. Beba described the toll of the violence on both the local church and the broader community as devastating.
He cited recent attacks on several communities, including Tse Orbiam, Ahume, Jimba, Nagi-Camp, Aondoana, Yelewata, and Abegana, claiming over 50 lives, among them women and children, within just two weeks.
“More than 15 parishes have been shut down because the host communities have been sacked. Communities like Jiba, Mabalom Yelwata, and Aondona that were sacked by armed herders, the parishioners, and the priests are no longer there, all these are in Makurdi diocese,” he stated.
Fr. Beba linked the surge in violence to international advocacy by the Makurdi Catholic bishop, who has testified abroad regarding the persecution of Christians in Benue and across Nigeria.
“These attacks are a direct attack on Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and the Catholic Church he represents. We believe they were coordinated in response to the bishop’s testimony in the US and Europe on the systematic persecution of Christians in Benue and Nigeria,” he said.
The priest also criticized the performance of military and security operatives stationed in the state, accusing them of inaction even in the face of clear threats.
“We have observed with dismay the low energy displayed by our Nigerian army stationed at some of these affected areas. We also regret to say that their inability to stop the attacks or go after the terrorists betrays professionalism, and this speaks of complicity,” he declared.
Fr. Beba recounted a recent incident involving the shooting of a Catholic priest near a military checkpoint.
“The attack and shooting of Revd Fr. Solomon Atongo on the 24th May 2025 took place 3 kilometers away from Naka, and less than 500 meters away from the army check point at Tse Orbiam, and another one later, on the community itself without any help or intervention from the army despite several cries for help from the villagers.”
He called on both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia to take decisive action by declaring war on the armed herders, adding that the governor had already identified many of the attackers as non-Nigerians.
He concluded with a call to action for the youth of Benue State
“The right to self-defence is an inalienable one for all citizens,” urging them “to be prepared to defend their faith, their farmlands, and their way of life.”
