No fewer than 15 parishes under the Makurdi Catholic Diocese in Benue State have been shut down due to repeated attacks on host communities by suspected armed herders.
The disclosure was made on Sunday by Rev. Fr Joseph Beba, Chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, NCDPA, Makurdi Diocese, during a press briefing at the Catholic Cathedral in Makurdi.
Fr Beba said the affected communities, Tse Orbiam, Ahume, Jimba, Nagi-Camp, Aondoana, Yelewata, and Abegana, have witnessed coordinated violence in the past two weeks, resulting in the deaths of over 50 residents, including women and children.
“More than 15 parishes have been shut down because their host communities have been completely displaced. In places like Jimba, Mbalom Yelwata, and Aondoana, both priests and parishioners have fled,” he said.
He alleged that the escalation in violence, particularly in Gwer West Local Government Area, followed the testimony of the Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, in the United States and Europe on the persecution of Christians in Benue and Nigeria.
“These attacks are not random. They are a direct response to Bishop Anagbe’s international testimony on the systematic persecution of Christians. The Church is under siege,” Fr Beba declared.
He criticized the Nigerian military for what he described as a lack of response, even when attacks occurred close to their checkpoints.
“We are dismayed by the low energy and response from security forces. The attack on Rev. Fr Solomon Atongo on May 24, 2025, happened just 3km from Naka and less than 500m from an army checkpoint at Tse Orbiam. There was no intervention,” he said.
Fr Beba called on President Bola Tinubu and Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia to declare war on the armed herders, noting that Governor Alia had previously identified the attackers as non-Nigerians.
He also urged youths to be vigilant and defend their communities: “The right to self-defence is inalienable. We call on our young people to be ready to defend their faith, their farmlands, and their way of life.”
