The Christian girl allegedly had an argument with fellow students online and the Muslims among them claimed that she blasphemed prophet Muhammad and killed her on May 12.
In the July 5 report shared with Catholic agencies, including Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International and Denis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI), Bishop Anagbe regrets that kidnappings and murders, some targeting Catholic Priests, have been on the rise in the attempt by militants to Islamize the entire country.
He says, in reference to Deborah, “Not the Sokoto State government or the central government of President Muhammadu Buhari has moved an inch to bring justice to the murderers of this poor girl rather there are more and more persecutions unleashed on Christians all over the country.”
“Today in Nigeria catholic Priests and Prelates of other churches are kidnapped and killed almost on a daily basis without any serious condemnation and efforts to tame the tide,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop says, and adds, “Even for the most ardent pessimists, recent events in Nigeria should clearly expose the elephant in the room; namely, the desire to Islamize the whole country as quickly as possible.”
The member of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretians – CMF) says that the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi houses over 80 percent of the quoted 1.5 million displaced persons in Benue State.
The report prepared by the Nigerian Diocese details killings and kidnappings in Benue State between May 1 and July 3. They include 10 incidents in various parts of the State, with the worst attack involving the killing of 30 people in Nigeria’s Okpokwu Local Government Area (LGA) on June 12.
Bishop Anagbe notes that the attacks against Christians in Africa’s most populous nation indicate an agenda “to depopulate Christian communities in Nigeria.”
“Like I have consistently maintained, the scale of killings, displacement and wanton destruction of property by these Fulani jihadists militia only buttresses the now revealed agenda to depopulate Christian communities in Nigeria and take over lands,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop says.
He adds, “Tellingly, the government in power in Nigeria at the moment continues to do nothing about these persistent attacks, save to give laughable reasons like ‘climate change’ or that some Muslims too are sometimes killed in attacks by so-called bandits.”
The Bishop says that the Church in Nigeria will not relent in advocating for Religious freedom in the country, saying, “Notwithstanding the threats to personal harm especially when people speak up against the evil Fulani herdsmen jihadists, we shall continue to draw the attention of the outside world to the plan by Islamists and their sponsors to Islamize Christian territories through these killings and occupation of lands.”
