“This carnage must end”: Nigeria’s Catholic Bishops Denounce as “affront to God” Benue Killings, Mokwa Deadly Floods

While they acknowledge the infrastructural strides that Benue State government has made, including road construction and regular salary payments, CBCN member note that “no matter how well a government pays salaries or builds roads, its failure to protect human lives renders its achievements hollow.”

“The sanctity of human life is supreme. It is sacred. It is inviolable,” they emphasize, and add, “Any government that fails to make the safety and protection of its citizens and their property its foremost priority abdicates its fundamental responsibility and moral legitimacy.”

In their June 6 statement, the Catholic Church leaders call for immediate action, and urge both the State and Federal governments to “rise beyond mere rhetoric and take immediate, firm, and sustained action to secure lives and restore hope to our people.”

They demand that perpetrators be identified and prosecuted, emphasizing that “every Nigerian life matters,” and that “every single death in such circumstances is a national tragedy and a scandal against our common humanity.”

Several communities in Nigeria’s Benue State have been thrown into mourning following a new wave of attacks by suspected Fulani herders.

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Over 170 Christians were reportedly killed during the Lenten Season and Holy Week in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, with at least 72 deaths reported in Benue State alone during the Easter Triduum, between April 18–20.

The attacks, allegedly by Fulani militants, targeted Christian farming communities in Ukum and Logo Counties, raising concerns over religious persecution and government inaction in the West African nation.

In a June 4 interview with ACI Africa, Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria decried the continued deadly attacks in his Episcopal See as amounting to a “genocide”.

The recent waves of attacks included the May 25 massacre of over 20 people and the deadly June 1 assault that resulted in the death of at least 13 people. 

These attacks have continued the pattern of violence that, according to Bishop Anagbe, aims to change the demographic makeup of Benue, the Nigerian State with a small Muslim population.

On June 1, members of the Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests' Association (NCDPA) in Makurdi Diocese condemned the wave of deadly targeted attacks, describing them as a “systematic persecution of Christians” deliberately intended to destabilize and cause distress to their Local Ordinary, Bishop Anagbe.

In their June 6 statement, Nigeria’s Catholic Bishops also weigh in on the humanitarian crisis in Mokwa, Niger State, where severe flooding has led to deaths, displacement, and destruction of infrastructure.

“The scale of this disaster calls for urgent, coordinated relief and rehabilitation efforts to restore hope and dignity to the affected communities,” CBCN members say.

They add, “We commend the government’s response so far but urge more comprehensive and compassionate action to support the victims, alleviate their suffering, and rebuild the devastated areas.”

Nigeria’s Catholic Bishops also call on the authorities to “take proactive and preventive measures to mitigate the risk of future disasters and better protect vulnerable communities.”

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“To the bereaved, displaced, traumatised, and wounded, we extend the deepest sympathy and spiritual closeness of the Catholic Church in Nigeria. Our hearts break with yours,” they say.

The Catholic Church leaders implore, “We pray that Christ’s mercy brings rest to the souls of the departed and comfort to all who suffer. Amen.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.