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While Nigeria continues to bleed from terrorism, banditry, mass killings, kidnapping, injustice and institutional hopelessness, the need for the federal government to go harder against these elements remain the concern of citizens. These were parts of the outburst of the Catholic Bishop of Markurdi Diocese, Benue State, Most Rev. Dr. Wilfred Anagbe, where initially, the state governor, Rev. (Fr) Hyacinth Alia had dismissed the alleged Christian genocide claim,
“I am a Reverend Father, so being in governance does not take that away from me. I am still a Reverend Father. I came in as a governor as a Reverend Father. I am working with the fear of God and the compassion of Christianity and humanity, and at the end of the day, I am still going back to the church as a Reverend Father and a Christian.” “In my state of Benue, we do not have any religious, ethnic, racial, national, or state genocide. We don’t have that. Do we have a number of insecurities in the state? Yes, we do, but it is not a genocide.” He has received wide condemnation for being reckless and complicit in the face of reality.
Meanwhile, Bishop Anagbe who fearlessly testified before the United States Congress, as reported by the Leadership Newspaper noted that, Nigeria is facing an unfolding genocide against its Christian population and called for urgent international intervention.
It reported further; appearing before a congressional hearing on alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria, Bishop Anagbe stressed the seriousness of the situation, saying that the violence is intensifying.
According to him, the past half-year has proven those warnings he gave understated, as attacks on vulnerable Christian villages by militias have continued across the Middle Belt and beyond.
“I am not speaking as a matter of privilege or opinion. Mr Chairman, Ranking Members, distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me back to testify on the escalating crisis of Christian persecution and genocide in Nigeria.
“Six months ago, on 13 March 2025, when I last appeared before this committee, I warned that the situation was dire and demanded urgent attention.”
Bishop Anagbe recounted that his own village from Gwer West Local Government was attacked on 22 May 2025, and several of his relatives were killed, adding that an entire convoy of reverend sisters and their families were displaced, along with the local Catholic parish. Days later, nearby villages such as Naka suffered similar attacks.
“On 24 May 2025, one of my priests, Brother Solomon Atongo, was shot and left to die in a pool of his blood. Those travelling with him were abducted. Although he survived, he can no longer walk freely due to a broken bone.
“On Palm Sunday, 6 April 2025, Fulani militias launched coordinated attacks on Christian communities in Benue State. This was part of a wider wave of violence during Holy Week, aimed at Christians preparing for one of our most important feasts.”
Bishop Anagbe also referenced the massacre in Yelewata, saying that on 18 June, over 178 men, women and children were killed in a manner too gory to describe.
“The attackers shouted alarms and chants while slaughtering their victims. Despite appeals, including prayers from the Holy Father on 14 June, the Nigerian government still seeks to downplay the numbers and has yet to care appropriately for survivors.
“On 17 November 2025, another priest from Kaduna Archdiocese was kidnapped, his brother was shot dead, and several others were taken captive. That same day, a school was attacked in Kendi State. Many were kidnapped, and the vice-principal was killed.”
The Bishop noted that reports had emerged of a Brigadier General, along with other officers and soldiers, being captured by Islamist militants.
“This is the daily experience of many communities in Nigeria. Violence is spreading southwards, displacing millions, destroying farmland, and creating a humanitarian crisis aggravated by food insecurity.”
He criticised the Nigerian government’s response, saying that its silence and refusal to confront the continued killings and displacement have deepened feelings of abandonment.
“National leadership appears disengaged, treating reports of Christian genocide as a non-issue instead of a national emergency. This lack of political will undermines trust and breeds perceptions of complicity or indifference.”
Bishop Anagbe further thanked the United States for renewed attention to the crisis and urged the US to take concrete measures. “On behalf of millions of Christians in Nigeria and in the diaspora, we thank President Donald J. Trump for his bold leadership in designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. It is a vital step, but it must be backed by serious action.
“The IDPs must be able to return to their ancestral homes with security guarantees. They need support to rebuild their livelihoods and access education, sanitation and basic services. Legislation such as the Nigerian Religious Freedom Accountability Act must be strengthened to hold perpetrators accountable,” he added. He emphasised that impunity remains at the heart of the violence.
US Congresswoman Sara Jacobs has faulted President Donald Trump’s military threat to Nigeria over alleged Christian genocide, describing it as “reckless”. Jacobs spoke on Thursday during a US Congress hearing on Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
The Democrat, California’s 51st Congressional District, which includes San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove, said pinning the violence in Nigeria to a religious crisis does not capture the whole picture.
“President Trump’s threat is reckless, and any unilateral military action in Nigeria is illegal. Congress has not authorised force in Nigeria to protect Christians,” the member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa, said during the event.
She said the violence affects both Christians and Muslims, asking the Nigerian government to do more to protect its citizens.
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