13/04/2025
A PRESS STATEMENT RELEASED BY MAKURDI CATHOLIC DIOCESAN LAITY
COUNCIL (MCDLC) ON THE 11TH APRIL 2025
TITLED:
THE ENTIRE LAY FAITHFUL OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MAKURDI CALL FOR THE URGENT NEED TO PROTECT MOST REV. WILFRED CHIKPA ANAGBE,CMF,AND REV.FR.REMIGIUS IHYULA FROM THREATS AND INTIMIDATION FOLLOWING THE BISHOP'S TESTIMONIES IN THE US AND UK CONCERNING THE DEPLORABLE PLIGHT OF CHRISTIANS AND INDIGENOUS CROP-FARMING
COMMUNITIES OF NIGERIA
INTRODUCTION
In every generation, silence in the face of injustice has allowed pain to multiply and evil to grow.We,the Makurdi Catholic Diocesan Laity Council,rise with righteous indignation and unyielding resolve to address the alarming whispers of threats against the life and liberty of our revered shepherd,Most Rev.Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, CMF, Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, and his faithful priest, Rev. Fr. Remigius Ihyula. These disturbing rumors emerge in the wake of our Bishop's fearless proclamation of truth, condemning the unrelenting slaughter, violence, and displacement ravaging the innocent and defenseless people of Benue State and Nigeria at large.The bishop is only acting in line with the demands of his faith, which emboldens him to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves... defend the rights of the poor and needy" (Proverbs 31:8-9).
Bishop Anagbe stands as a towering beacon of justice, a relentless defender of peace, and an unapologetic guardian of the sacred dignity of every human life. With the authority of a prophet,he has fearlessly exposed the horrors inflicted upon our defenseless communities-particularly in the Middle Belt, where blood flows freely, homes are reduced to ashes, and ancestral lands are confiscated by marauding herdsmen and ruthless militias. His voice is not merely a cry; it is a thunderous call to awaken the conscience of a nation, demanding accountability for the suffering of the downtrodden and the displaced. This is no less than the Gospel mandates: to protect the weak, to speak for the voiceless, and to confront evil without compromise. The words and actions of bishop W/ilfred connect with the voice of the prophet Isaiah, who says: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow"(Isaiah 1:17).
REJECTION OF THREATS AND INTIMIDATION ON BISHOP ANAGBE
It is, therefore, an outrage-an abomination- that rumors now swirl of sinister plans by the Nigerian government to arrest or silence Bishop Anagbe upon his return to this land he has served so faithfully.Should these threats prove true, they would constitute a vile assault on the very pillars of freedom: the right to speak, the right to worship, and the sacred duty of a shepherd to shield his flock from wolves. We declare unequivocally that: TO TARGET OUR BISHOP IS TO WAGE
WAR ON TRUTH ITSELF,TO SPIT UPON THE CRIES OF THE OPPRESSED, AND TO MOCK THE AGONY OF THOUSANDS LANGUISHING IN THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS CAMPS, THEIR LIVES SHATTERED BY CEASELESS AND MEANINGLESS VIOLENCE. Why must we become refugees in our homeland when we are not at war with anyone?
ISLAMIC FULANI MILITIA ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS IN MAKURDI DIOCESE AND ELSEWHERE IN NIGERIA
The fact remains that Islamic Fulani militia have become a nightmare to the entire Nigerian territory,causing havoc in all regions. Between the period of 2018 to 2024,Makurdi Diocese lost about 15 Parishes and over 150 churches to this killer group. Across Nigeria, at least 124 Priests have been kidnapped, some killed, and others regained freedom but at a very high cost with many churches been destroyed by Fulani militia. According to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN),during the 2024 Christmas Day, 47 lives of Christians who were attending service in Anwase in the Diocese of Gboko, Benue State, were killed by Fulani militia. Both adults and children were killed, and eight parish buildings-including the church and clinic were burnt to ashes.
It is on record that in April 2018, two priests and more than 17 parishioners were massacred while attending early morning Mass at St. Ignatius Parish Ayar-Mbalom in Benue State.
On the5^th ofJune,2022,there was a mass shooting and bomb attack in St. Francis Catholic Church Owo,Ondo State,Nigeria,killing no fewer than 40 people and injuring at least 80 persons.
Between October 2019 and September 2023, terrorist groups killed 55,910 people and abducted 21,000 others in different places in Nigeria. Christina farmers have been forced to abandon their ancestral lands in fear of being killed by the Fulani Islamic militia. Many now live in IDP camps.
As recently as 9th April 2025, an attack occurred just a seven-minute drive from the State Capital,Makurdi, claiming the lives of at least 15 farmers, displacing scores of residents and leaving several others missing. According to eyewitnesses, the heavily armed assailants stormed the village under the cover of darkness, unleashing a barrage of gunfire and setting homes ablaze. This is aside from unreported killings of farmers on daily basis in different parts of Benue State.Sometimes,corpses are discovered several days after such a person is declared missing.
It is worthy of note that these attacks are not limited to Benue Christians and Church infrastructures. These attacks are growing simultaneously, alarmingly and uncontrollably all over Nigeria. Southern Kaduna and Plateau States, for example, where Christians are dominant in population, have experienced several mass burials from killings carried out by Fulani militia groups. The violence is a case of systematic attacks, targeted killings, the burning of villages, and the displacement of indigenous communities from their ancestral lands. The aim is to exterminate the Christian crop-farming indigenous populations, take over their lands and Islamise any remnant.This is not merely a conflict. It is an injustice rooted in impunity, indifference, and systemic failure.This is the outcry of bishop Anagbe.
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GOVERNMENT
It is the government's primary duty to protect the lives and property of its citizens. Additionally,it is the government's responsibility to protect the rights of citizens, guarantee individual liberties,and uphold the freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to ownership, including ownership of land. Failure to address ongoing attacks, displacement,land grabbing, the continued Fulanization of Nigeria and the domination of certain regions by force is a betrayal of national trust. We must hold leaders accountable and demand policies that protect vulnerable communities,enforce security, and dismantle the systems that enable impunity. In the face of the killing sprees being carried out by the rampaging Fulani militia in Nigeria, let it be known to our passive,mutely-indifferent and coldly-complicit government leaders that in the face of injustice, silence is not neutrality;it is consent.
OUR RESOLVE AND DEMANDS AS LAY FAITHFUL OF MAKURDI DIOCESE
We,the laity of Makurdi Diocese, stand as an unbreakable wall beside our Bishop. His words are our words; his fight is our fight. For too long, our people have endured the terror of Fulani killers and bandits while the government enables them by their inaction; intruders who pillage our lands,devour our livelihoods with their cattle, and burn our churches to the ground. Since 2001,this scourge has plagued us, and since ascending to the episcopacy in 2014, Bishop Anagbe has been a lion in our defense, roaring against the injustice that seeks to bury us.
We will not cower. We will not be silent. We demand these invaders be driven from our land. This is not a personal vendetta but a battle for the survival and freedom of our people. We want to know the pact that the government has signed with the murderous Fulani herdsmen that has given them the impunity to possess arms, kill, pillage and occupy our lands. We want to know why these murderers have turned our land into one big refugee camp while the government looks on. We demand to know why Bishop Anagbe is being singled out for intimidation while the Fulani terrorists pillaging our land roam freely.
On 28th March 2025, a chilling and worrying message reached Rev. Fr. Remigius Ihyula from an embassy in Abuja, hinting at a possible arrest warrant awaiting Bishop Anagbe upon his return.We do not view this as a mere rumor; it is a clarion call to action. We, the lay faithful, will not stand idly by while our shepherd is hunted for speaking the truth and upholding righteousness.
We therefore proclaim with the full force of our collective voice and conviction that:
i) We vehemently denounce and totally condemn any scheme or plan to arrest,harass,intimidate,or harm Bishop Anagbe and Fr. Ihyula or any servant of God who dares to confront the powers of oppression with unvarnished truth.
ii) We request an ironclad guarantee from the government concerning the safety and liberty of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe,both now and when he sets foot again on Nigerian soil.
iii) We demand that the government and security agencies honor our bishop's God-given and constitutional rights as a citizen, a cleric, and a moral giant, free to speak for his people without the shadow of persecution looming over him.
iv) We call on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), all faith leaders, civil society organisations, and the international community to stand as sentinels, ensuring no evil befalls our Bishop and Fr. Ihyula.
v) We caution those in power: To silence a voice of conscience is to invite divine wrath, to embolden the wicked, and to deepen the festering wounds of a bleeding nation. Silence in the face of oppression strengthens the oppressor and isolates the victim. When communities are attacked and authorities remain passive or dismissive, trust in the system breaks down.
vi) True peace comes only when truth is told, victims are heard,perpetrators are held accountable,and the rule of law is upheld.
CONCLUSION
The shepherd's voice will not be choked, neither will he be silenced. The pleas of the persecuted will not be smothered. Even as we speak, the Fulani terrorists continue their murderous rampage.Truth is not a crime- it is a weapon against tyranny, and it will prevail. Advocacy for peace and justice must never be crushed by the fist of repression. In solidarity with the prophetic voice of bishop Wilfred, we invite all Nigerians of goodwill to raise their voices in demand for justice,security,and fairness for every dehumanised Nigerian- regardless of ethnicity, religion or region.
We must not allow fear or political pressure to muzzle truth. We must speak, write, march, and pray for peace rooted in justice, truth, and dignity for all. Let us stand as a voice for the voiceless.United in prayer, fortified by solidarity, and armed with unshakable faith in God, we pledge our unwavering allegiance and support for Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, for every victim of injustice, and for the righteous cause of our people in Benue State and beyond. We stand resolute. We stand for truth. We stand for justice. We demand legislative and judicial action. We stand for the liberation of our land and the salvation of our souls. We condemn any form of intimidation of our bishop targeted at silencing his prophetic voice, and we call on all people of conscience, regardless of tribe, faith or background, to join hands to condemn evil in all its forms.
Signed:
Sir Andrew Njie,KSJI
President, Makurdi Catholic Diocesan Laity Council
Samuel Azor Kunde
Secretary
Dated: 14th April 2025
