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“It’s Genocide”, 17 Parishes Shut Down: Catholic Bishop of Makurdi, Nigeria, Decries Persistent Attacks

Abah Anthony John

By Abah Anthony John

Makurdi, 05 June, 2025 / 11:53 pm (ACI Africa).

Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria has decried the continued deadly attacks in his Episcopal See as amounting to a “genocide”.

In an interview with ACI Africa, Bishop Anagbe said that since 2018, he has shut down some 17 Parishes. He described the killings as part of a systematic campaign of territorial conquest and religious persecution that targets Christian communities in Nigeria’s Benue State.

“No nation watches her citizens slaughtered like animals and says there is nothing to be done. It’s genocide,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop told ACI Africa on Wednesday, June 4.

He recounted the negative impact of the attacks, including the most recent, saying, “This time, between May 27 and today, we have closed down two additional Parishes, bringing the total number of parishes closed down in my Diocese due to killings by herders to 17.”

“Some parishes span up to 20 kilometers, with many outstations and zones. When we talk about 17 parishes being shut, it means an entire community has been displaced and taken over. They cannot go back,” the Local Ordinary of Makurdi since March 2015, having served as Coadjutor Bishop of the same Episcopal See since his Consecration in October 2014 said.

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The recent waves of attacks included the May 25 massacre of over 20 people and the deadly June 1 assault that resulted in the death of at least 13 people.  

These attacks have continued the pattern of violence that, according to Bishop Anagbe, aims to change the demographic makeup of Benue, the Nigerian State with a small Muslim population.

“It is not just during festive moments anymore. It is now a steady occurrence. From the beginning, it has always been a jihadist war—an attempt to occupy and conquer territory. There is no other explanation. It is an Islamic war aimed at targeting predominantly Christian tribes,” he emphasized.

The Nigerian member of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CMF/Claretians) expressed frustration with the Nigerian government’s failure to halt the violence. 

“Nobody would feel okay about it. It is a moment of confusion. We are not in charge of security, and we have no means to protect our people. The ones who are responsible should act now and stop the killings,” he said.

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The Catholic Church leader noted that Nigerian government has the capacity to end the violence but lacks the political will. Bishop Anagbe told ACI Africa, “Nigeria has the capacity to handle this. It’s just the will that is not there.”

According to him, “The government is involved. The government is aiding, supporting, and abetting these people to continue to kill our people. Period.”

He questioned the silence and complicity surrounding the identity of the attackers, and posed, “Who are these people? Are they spirits? They are not. The government knows what to do.”

On the proliferation of illegal arms, Bishop Anagbe said, “People with private guns are everywhere. It is not hidden. Yet the government arrests citizens who speak out.”

“When we say Fulani terrorists, nobody denies it. If your son is bad, is he not your son? Let us call it what it is,” the Catholic Bishop said.

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The Local Ordinary of Makurdi Diocese has been vocal about the upsurge in violence in Benue State. On March 12, he made a passionate plea to the U.S to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) owing to increased Islamist attacks against Christians in the country.

Addressing the U.S. House on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Bishop Anagbe testified against the atrocities perpetrated against Christians in Nigeria, the Middle Belt Region, and Benue State in particular.

He detailed the persecution of Christians, especially in the Northern and Central regions of Nigeria, where he said there is an agenda “to reduce and eventually eliminate the Christian identity” of the country.

The speech attracted a backlash from Muslim leaders in the country, who described the Catholic Bishop’s testimony as “unsubstantiated”.

On June 1, members of the Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests' Association (NCDPA) in Makurdi Diocese condemned the wave of deadly targeted attacks, describing them as a “systematic persecution of Christians” deliberately intended to destabilize and cause distress to their Local Ordinary, Bishop Anagbe.

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In the June 4 interview with ACI Africa, Bishop Anagbe urged the people of God under his pastoral care to cling to their faith despite the surge in violent attacks. “Our faith should not grow weak. If it does, whom will we trust? We have to trust in God. Our faith in Him will never disappoint us,” he said.

Bishop Anagbe continued, “God can change even the most hardened of people. Those who die will die. Those who live will tell the story.”

“We will continue to pray and ask God for direction. God is the source of every civilization. He will never disappoint us,” the 60-year-old Nigerian Catholic Bishop told ACI Africa.

Abah Anthony John

Abah Anthony John is a Nigerian Catholic journalist with passion for Church communication and media apostolate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Benue State University, Makurdi in Benue State Nigeria. He has a background in print, electronic and multi-media production.