Herdsmen Kill 50, Shut 15 Churches in Makurdi, Catholic Priests Allege Military Complicity

The Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA), Makurdi Diocese, has raised a grave alarm over escalating violence in Benue State, reporting that armed herdsmen have killed over 50 people and forced the closure of 15 Catholic parishes within the past month.
At a press conference on Sunday, Revd. Fr. Joseph Beba, Chairman of the NCDPA in Makurdi Diocese, condemned the attacks as “a calculated and coordinated effort to wipe out Tiv communities.” He pointedly accused security forces, particularly military personnel stationed in the affected areas, of “complicity and inaction.”
“Among those affected are Catholic priests, and this has led to the closure of 15 parishes in Makurdi Diocese alone,” Fr. Beba stated, lamenting what he described as the military’s “silence and passivity while communities were being attacked.”
The priests detailed a series of recent incidents, including the shooting of Revd. Fr. Solomon Atongo, priest in charge of St. John’s Quasi Parish, Jimba. Fr. Atongo was reportedly shot just 500 meters from a military checkpoint at Tse Orbiam, with no visible response from the stationed personnel. The community was subsequently attacked.
Other affected communities in the Makurdi Diocese include Tse Orbiam, Ahume, Jimba, Nagi-Camp, Aondoana, Yelewata, and Abegana. The assaults have resulted in numerous fatalities, including women, children, and a pregnant woman.
“These acts are inhumane, barbaric, and a gross violation of the sanctity and dignity of human life,” the priests declared. They also suggested a possible link between the attacks and Bishop Wilfred Anagbe’s recent testimonies in the U.S. and Europe concerning the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
“These attacks are a direct assault on the Bishop of Makurdi Diocese and the Catholic Church he represents. They appear coordinated and retaliatory,” they asserted, noting that Bishop Anagbe’s home village of Aondoana was attacked on May 25, forcing clergy and nuns to flee into the bush for safety.
Further incidents cited by the priests include a May 26 invasion of Nagi-Camp, located only five kilometers from a Nigerian Army base in Agagbe, which reportedly saw no military intervention. The following night, the Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area was attacked, resulting in the wiping out of an entire family, while Revd. Fr. Jonathan Ukuma narrowly escaped assassination.
The clergy expressed a growing sense of abandonment, criticizing both federal and state governments for their perceived lack of visits to victims or displays of solidarity, even as communities are displaced and religious leaders targeted.
“We are not sure whose side the military is on. Their behavior raises serious suspicions of complicity,” they stated, also citing the deteriorating security on the Naka-Makurdi and Taraku-Naka roads.
The NCDPA issued a direct appeal to Governor Hyacinth Alia, urging decisive action against what they termed “ethnic cleansing” of the Tiv people. They also called on President Bola Tinubu to “declare full-scale war” on the “terrorist elements identified by Governor Alia as foreign invaders.”
“Failure to act decisively will be seen as indifference or complicity. To be silent is to die twice,” they warned.
The priests further demanded immediate government compensation for victims and the safe return of displaced persons to their ancestral lands, emphasizing the government’s constitutional duty to protect its citizens.
Reaffirming their commitment to the gospel, the clergy vowed not to be silenced and encouraged Nigerian youths to be prepared to defend their faith, farmlands, and communities within legal bounds. “The right to self-defence is inalienable for all citizens,” they declared.