How over 50 persons got killed,15 churches shut by rampaging herdsmen in Benue –Catholic Church, cries out

Reverend Father Joseph Beba, Chairman Makurdi Diocese, of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA), on Sunday, painted the stark picture of how terrorists including armed herdsmen, devastating the state in recent years have made the denomination a major target through deadly attacks.

Their activities had led to more than 50 people being killed and 15 Catholic parishes being forced to shut down in just one month, he told reporters in the state, while strongly condemning the wave of violence, which he said were calculated and coordinated effort to wipe out Tiv communities.

Accusing security forces, particularly the military stationed in the affected areas, of complicity and inaction, he said: “Among those affected are Catholic priests, and this has led to the closure of 15 parishes in Makurdi Diocese alone.

Citing the case of Solomon Atongo, the priest in charge of St. John’s Quasi Parish, Jimba, he said the cleric was recently killed just 500 meters from a military checkpoint at Tse Orbiam, with no response from the stationed personnel, while the community itself was later attacked.

He listed other affected other communities to include Tse Orbiam, Ahume, Jimba, Nagi-Camp, Aondoana, Yelewata, and Abegana — all located within the Makurdi Diocese, adding that the assaults on them at different times resulted in numerous deaths, including women, children, and even a pregnant woman.

“These acts are inhumane, barbaric, and a gross violation of the sanctity and dignity of human life. These attacks may be linked to Bishop Wilfred Anagbe’s recent testimonies in the U.S. and Europe about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“These attacks are a direct assault on the Bishop of Makurdi Diocese and the Catholic Church he represents. They appear coordinated and retaliatory. The bishop’s home village of Aondoana was also attacked on May 25, with clergy and nuns fleeing into the bush for safety.

“In yet another attack on May 26, terrorists invaded Nagi-Camp, only five kilometers from a Nigerian Army base in Agagbe, and still, there was no military intervention. The following night, Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area was attacked, with an entire family wiped out and Revd. Fr. Jonathan Ukuma narrowly escaping assassination.”

Emphasising on the ordeal of the church, he lamented the growing sense of abandonment, noting that neither the federal nor state government had visited the victims or shown solidarity, even as communities were displaced and religious leaders attacked.

“We are not sure whose side the military is on. Their behavior raises serious suspicions of complicity. The increasingly unsafe Naka-Makurdi and Taraku-Naka roads are further proof of the deteriorating security situation.

“We call on Governor Hyacinth Alia, to act decisively against this ethnic cleansing of the Tiv people. We also demand that President Bola Tinubu declare full-scale war on the terrorist elements identified by Governor Alia as foreign invaders.

“Failure to act decisively will be seen as indifference or complicity. To be silent is to die twice. We also call for immediate government compensation for victims and the return of displaced persons to their ancestral lands. We insist that the government’s constitutional duty is to protect the lives and dignity of its citizens.

“Our commitment to the gospel, will not be silenced. We encourage Nigerian youths to be prepared to defend their faith, farmlands, and communities within the bounds of the law. The right to self-defence is inalienable for all citizens.”