“People feel abandoned”: Catholic Bishop in Nigeria Decries Worsening Humanitarian Crisis in Benue State

The Nigerian member of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CMF/Claretians) explained that the crisis in Benue was not only a security problem but also a serious economic challenge with implications for food production in the country.  

“Benue is regarded as the food basket of the nation, but our people can no longer farm; instead, they are reduced to beggars in their own land, while armed groups freely occupy their ancestral homes. This has far-reaching consequences for food security and the stability of the country,” he lamented.

Bishop Anagbe said the Church had been providing support it could for displaced persons, but its resources remained inadequate compared to the overwhelming needs in the camps. 

“We are crying out not just for food and shelter, but for justice and peace. The world must not look away while our people suffer,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader also faulted what he described as a deliberate lack of political will to address the crisis. He noted that while many leaders often pay lip service to security challenges, little action is taken to ensure that displaced persons safely return to their respective homes. 

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“How can we explain that entire communities are wiped out and yet no one is held accountable? How can it be that people are forced out of their land and the invaders remain there undisturbed? These are questions that expose the complicity of the authorities,” Bishop Anagbe said.

He added, “We have found ourselves in a situation like this, which we can’t ignore, as Priests, as missionaries, as Catholics and Christians. And even as normal human beings, we should be able to feel some kind of sympathy and compassion for this situation now with these people.”

The Local Ordinary of Makurdi Diocese arch 2015 said that Benue remains one of the worst-affected States, with nine government-recognized internally displaced persons (IDP) camps within Makurdi Diocese alone.

He noted that these camps are overcrowded, hosting thousands of families forced out of their homes by persistent attacks.

“In one of the camps, you have over 3,000 households, not just inmates. It’s there in Otukpo Diocese, it’s there in Katsina-Ala Diocese, it’s there in Gboko Diocese, and in the rest of the places. This is not only in Benue. You have the same situation in Plateau State, in Taraba State, and all around this country,” the Local Ordinary of Makurdi recounted.

Bishop Anagbe said the situation reflects a national tragedy that demands urgent action. “This is not a natural disaster. It is calculatedly done. There is a reason which they know, an agenda which they have, and it happens every day while people keep quiet,” he lamented.

The Local Ordinary of Makurdi Diocese, who has been vocal about the upsurge in violence in Benue State, noted that government inaction goes beyond silence, pointing to what he described as deliberate support for attackers.

“The government is aiding and supporting the insurgency. It is not just a conspiracy of silence. It is aiding and supporting what is going on,” Bishop Anagbe said.

He also decried the absence of accountability despite years of attacks on rural communities. “All these years we've talked, nobody has been arrested. And when they say someone is arrested, what have they done to them?” he posed.

He reiterated that the Church will continue to stand with the displaced, even as he acknowledged that its resources are stretched thin. 

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The Catholic Bishop insisted that the people cannot remain silent in the face of such grave threats to life and dignity, urging all Nigerians to demand accountability and justice. “The dignity of human life is at stake; if we do not act now, we will all pay the price.” Bishop Anagbe told ACI Africa on September 1.

Abah Anthony John is a Nigerian Catholic journalist with passion for Church communication and media apostolate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Benue State University, Makurdi in Benue State Nigeria. He has a background in print, electronic and multi-media production.