Catholic priests in the Makurdi Diocese have raised a serious alarm over ongoing deadly attacks by suspected herdsmen, which have led to the killing of more than 50 people and the closure of at least 15 Catholic parishes in just one month.
Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, the Chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA) in Makurdi Diocese, Revd. Fr. Joseph Beba, described the situation as a “calculated and coordinated effort” to wipe out Tiv communities in the state. He also accused the military stationed in the area of inaction and possible complicity.
“Among those affected are Catholic priests. The security forces, especially the military, are not doing enough. In some cases, they are doing nothing at all,” Fr. Beba said.
He cited the recent shooting of Revd. Fr. Solomon Atongo, the priest in charge of St. John’s Quasi Parish, Jimba. Fr. Atongo was shot just 500 meters from a military checkpoint at Tse Orbiam, with no reaction from the soldiers. The village was later attacked, leaving many residents dead or displaced.
Communities such as Tse Orbiam, Ahume, Jimba, Nagi-Camp, Aondoana, Yelewata, and Abegana, all under the Makurdi Diocese, have suffered repeated attacks. Victims include women, children, and even a pregnant woman.
“These acts are barbaric and inhumane,” Fr. Beba said. He suggested that the violence may be linked to the Bishop of Makurdi, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe’s recent international testimonies about Christian persecution in Nigeria. The bishop’s home village, Aondoana, was attacked on May 25, forcing priests and nuns to flee into the bush.
Another attack occurred the next day at Nagi-Camp, just five kilometers from an army base in Agagbe, but again, no help came. On May 27, Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area was attacked, with an entire family wiped out and Revd. Fr. Jonathan Ukuma narrowly escaping death.
The priests expressed disappointment in both the state and federal governments for their silence and failure to visit or support the affected communities.
“We are not sure whose side the military is on. Their silence is suspicious,” the priests said. They also described the Naka-Makurdi and Taraku-Naka roads as death traps due to the increasing insecurity.
They called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to act decisively and urged President Bola Tinubu to declare full war on the killers, whom the governor earlier identified as foreign mercenaries.
“Failure to act is complicity. Silence means we die twice,” the priests warned.
They also demanded compensation for victims and the return of displaced people to their homes, adding, “It is the government’s duty to protect lives and property.”
The priests ended with a call to Nigerian youths to defend their land and faith lawfully, stressing, “The right to self-defence is inalienable.”
