The Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, has called on Christians to intensify their prayers, describing it as the most powerful weapon in confronting the violent attacks that have left many dead and thousands displaced in Benue State.
Bishop Anagbe made the call on Thursday during his sermon at the 2025 Chrism Mass held in Makurdi. He condemned the continuous and unprovoked assaults by armed invaders, which have forced countless locals to flee their ancestral homes and seek shelter in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
According to the bishop, the Makurdi Diocese alone is currently hosting IDPs in nine different locations, a situation he described as deeply troubling and unsustainable.
“IDP camps are not a solution,” Bishop Anagbe said. “The best and only lasting solution is to ensure that these displaced persons are safely returned and resettled in their ancestral homes.”
He warned that the longer the IDPs remain in camps, the more it signifies the loss of their land to the invaders. “If displaced persons remain in the camps without an end in sight, it is a signal that they have relinquished their lands to the invaders,” he lamented.
The cleric urged believers to look beyond despair and turn to God, emphasizing that faith and persistent prayer were key to overcoming the crisis. “We need to go to God in prayer because He is our only hope, and if we hope in Him, our hope will not be in vain,” he said.
Bishop Anagbe encouraged the faithful to remain confident and hopeful for a lasting solution, stressing the need for collective faith in the face of adversity. “Look to the future with confidence and with a renewed hope as well as an open spirit for a permanent solution,” he added.
He concluded by charging the congregation to keep their eyes fixed on God, “the author and finisher of our faith,” even in these trying times.
