At least 15 parishes within the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi have been forced to shut down due to continued attacks on communities by suspected armed herders.
This was revealed on Sunday by Rev. Fr. Joseph Beba, Chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, Makurdi Diocese, during a press briefing at the Catholic Cathedral in Makurdi. He described the impact of the violence on both the local population and the Church as devastating.
Fr. Beba listed several communities attacked in the past two weeks—including Tse Orbiam, Ahume, Jimba, Nagi-Camp, Aondoana, Yelewata, and Abegana—where over 50 people, including women and children, were reportedly killed.
He alleged that the recent spike in attacks, particularly in Gwer West Local Government Area, may be linked to the international advocacy efforts of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who recently testified in the United States and Europe about the systematic persecution of Christians in Benue State and across Nigeria.
Fr. Beba also criticized the military and security agencies for what he described as their failure to respond effectively to the violence, noting that many attacks occurred near security checkpoints without any intervention.
“More than 15 parishes have been shut down because the host communities have been completely displaced,” he said. “Communities like Jiba, Mbalom, Yelewata, and Aondona have been overrun by armed herders. Parishioners and priests have fled—these are all within the Makurdi Diocese.”
He continued: “We are deeply troubled by the poor response of the Nigerian Army stationed in these areas. Their failure to repel the attackers or pursue the perpetrators suggests either negligence or complicity.”
Citing a specific incident, Fr. Beba recounted the attack on Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo on May 24, 2025, which occurred just 3 kilometers from Naka and less than 500 meters from a military checkpoint at Tse Orbiam. He said a second assault followed shortly after on the same community, again with no military intervention despite repeated calls for help.
“These attacks, we believe, are a targeted assault on Bishop Anagbe and the Catholic Church he leads. The timing and coordination suggest retaliation for the bishop’s testimonies abroad,” he added.
Fr. Beba called on President Bola Tinubu and Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to take decisive action by declaring war on the armed herders, stressing that the governor himself has identified many of the attackers as non-Nigerians.
He also urged the youth of Benue to be ready to defend their faith, land, and livelihood.
“The right to self-defense is inalienable,” he said. “We must be prepared to protect our communities, our farmlands, and our way of life.”