The Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Benue State has closed no fewer than 15 parishes due to ongoing attacks on communities by suspected armed herders. The decision follows a series of violent incursions that have left dozens dead and entire communities displaced.
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday at the Catholic Cathedral in Makurdi, Rev. Fr. Joseph Beba, Chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (Makurdi Diocese), confirmed the closures and raised alarm over what he described as a coordinated attack on the Church and its faithful.
Fr. Beba identified several of the affected communities, including Tse Orbiam, Ahume, Jimba, Nagi-Camp, Aondoana, Yelewata, and Abegana. “Over 50 people have been killed in the past two weeks, including women and children,” he lamented.
He explained that the parishes were shut down because the host communities had been completely overrun. “In places like Jimba, Mbalom Yelewata, and Aondona, both the parishioners and the priests have fled. There’s no one left. These areas fall under the Makurdi Diocese,” he said.
According to the cleric, the latest wave of violence is believed to be linked to international advocacy by Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese, who recently testified in the United States and Europe about the ongoing persecution of Christians in Benue and Nigeria.
“These attacks are not random. They are a direct response to Bishop Anagbe’s global outcry about the plight of Christians here. This is an attack on the Church and everything it stands for,” Fr. Beba stated.
The priest didn’t mince words in criticizing the response—or lack thereof—by Nigerian security forces. He claimed many of the attacks occurred alarmingly close to military checkpoints, yet no meaningful intervention followed.
“We are deeply concerned about the attitude of our security forces, especially the army. Their failure to act decisively against the attackers raises serious questions. The May 24 shooting of Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo happened just 500 metres from a military post at Tse Orbiam,” he said.
Fr. Beba called on President Bola Tinubu and Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia to take decisive action. “The governor has already said the attackers are not Nigerians. It’s time to treat this as an invasion and declare war on these terrorists,” he added.
He concluded by urging Nigerian youths to rise in defense of their faith, land, and communities. “We can’t fold our arms while our people are being wiped out. Our youth must be ready to defend our values and way of life.”
As the security situation in Benue continues to deteriorate, the closure of these parishes stands as a painful symbol of the human toll of unchecked violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
