“This must end”: U.S. Congressman “appalled” by Threats to Detain, “harm” Bishop Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese in Nigeria

“These alarming acts of intimidation—occurring both before and after my Congressional hearing—are not isolated,” he says.

The acts of intimidation against Bishop Anagbe and Fr. Remigius, Rep. Chris Smith says, “reflect a troubling pattern of retaliation linked to testimony before Congress on religious freedom abuses in Nigeria.”

On March 12, Bishop Anagbe made a passionate plea to the U.S to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) owing to increased Islamist attacks against Christians in the country. 

Addressing the U.S. House on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, the Nigerian Catholic Bishop testified against the atrocities perpetrated against Christians in Nigeria, the Middle Belt Region, and Benue State in particular. He also detailed the persecution of Christians especially in the Northern and Central regions of Nigeria, where he said there is an agenda “to reduce and eventually eliminate the Christian identity” of the country.

On March 28, Fr. Remigius reportedly received a message from an embassy in Abuja, warning “there might be” an arrest warrant for Bishop Anagbe upon his return to Nigeria.

A report published on April 9 indicates that Bishop Anagbe was in Scotland, where he delivered a keynote address at a conference that the Catholic Charity Foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, organized. 

The Conference reportedly focused “on the plight of Christians in Africa, particularly in northern Nigeria, where violence and religious persecution continue to claim innocent lives.”

In his April 10 Press Release, Rep. Chris Smith, who also serves as the Chairperson of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa goes on to recall a previous incident, when Nigerian human rights Attorney, Emmanuel Ogebe, faced intimidation, “including attempts to revoke his passport and smear his reputation” after his testimony before the U.S. Congress in 2015.

“Mr. Ogebe was forced to sue to protect his constitutional rights. Others remain in hiding. In the worst cases, they become martyrs,” Rep. Chris Smith recalls.

“This must end,” the U.S. lawmaker says referring to “recent acts of transnational repression targeting Nigerians and Nigerian-Americans in the United States, following a March 12, 2025, congressional hearing he chaired on religious persecution in Nigeria.”

“This thuggery not only threatens fundamental human rights, but it also violates U.S. criminal law and undermines a core congressional oversight function,” he says in the April 10 Press Release.

The thuggery, Rep. Chris Smith continues, “mirrors the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) well-documented tactics of transnational repression—trampling civil liberties and attempting to silence dissidents far beyond its borders.”

The U.S. Congressman who has previously sponsored a resolution to increase sanctions and pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government over the rampant persecution of Christians and other minorities in Nigeria the country says the U.S. government “cannot” tolerate intimidate of actors within its borders.

“The United States cannot allow foreign actors to intimidate or harass individuals within our borders for exercising their basic rights—particularly those who are assisting Congress by providing testimony,” Rep. Chris Smith says in his April 10 Press Release, the same day Nigeria’s Diocesan Priests made known their “grave concern over” the safety of Bishop Anagbe.

In the April 10 statement, members of the Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests' Association “NCDPA) cautioned against any attempts to harass or arrest Bishop Anagbe or Fr. Ihyula.

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“Bishop Anagbe, known for his unwavering commitment to justice, peace, and the sanctity of human life, has consistently used his prophetic voice to speak out against the atrocities perpetrated against defenseless communities, especially in the Middle Belt region,” NCPDA members said.

They noted that Bishop Anagbe’s “pastoral concern for the suffering and displaced, particularly the victims of violent herdsmen attacks and militia invasions, is not only a moral obligation but a clear response to the Gospel imperative of defending human dignity.”

They make known their solidarity with the Clergy of Makurdi Diocese, who NCPDA members confirm, “stand solidly with our Bishop. We affirm that Bishop Anagbe has spoken the truth, a truth which many suffer in silence.”

Diocesan Priests in Nigeria demanded the “immediate assurance of safety and freedom for Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, both now and upon his return to Nigeria.”

They called on the Nigerian government and security agencies to “respect his right as a citizen, a cleric, and a moral leader to speak on issues affecting his people without fear of arrest or harassment.”

NCPDA members also appeal to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), all religious leaders, civil society organizations, and the international community to “be vigilant and proactive in ensuring that no harm comes to our Bishop and Revd Fr. Ihyula.”