A Nigerian Catholic Bishop has delivered a stark warning to United States lawmakers, stating that Christianity risks being eliminated in parts of Northern and Middle-Belt Nigeria “within a very short time.”
Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi testified before the US House Subcommittee on Africa on Thursday, declaring that the nation is entering “one of its darkest periods” for Christians.
He described a relentless campaign of killings, mass displacement and targeted attacks carried out “with impunity,” which he characterised as a systematic effort to erase Christian communities and their identity.
“Christianity risks elimination in parts of Northern and Middle-Belt Nigeria within a very short time,” Anagbe stated unequivocally.
The bishop cited the recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by US President Donald Trump as “a serious, well-founded wakeup call.” However, he stressed that the violence has only intensified.
He painted a grim picture of the human cost, noting that “millions of displaced persons remain in camps, unable to return to their ancestral lands.” He said this displacement threatens “cultural continuity, religious and economic survival.”
Anagbe also highlighted the specific trauma inflicted on women, who he said “endure sexual violence as a weapon.” He warned that such tactics are designed to ensure that “no more Christians will be born from so many traumatised women.”
The bishop’s testimony was punctuated with personal and harrowing accounts of recent violence. He recounted a May 22 attack on his own hometown where several of his relatives were killed.
“An entire convent of Reverend Sisters of the Order of St. Clare was displaced, along with the local Catholic parish,” he said.
He also detailed the attempted killing of one of his priests, Father Solomon Atongo, on May 24. “He was shot and left to die in the pool of his blood. Though he survived the attack, he is unable to walk freely because he has a broken bone,” Anagbe told the committee.
Referencing the June 13 massacre in Yelwata, Benue State, the bishop said 278 people were slaughtered. “It took the prayers of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for the government in Nigeria to even acknowledge this evil,” he claimed.
Anagbe directly accused the Nigerian Federal Government of failing to confront the crisis, stating, “The government of Nigeria’s silence and refusal to engage in the fates of continued killings and displacements has deepened feelings of abandonment among the people.”
He posed pointed questions to the lawmakers: “Who is killing the Muslims up north? Is there any Christian militia displacing millions and occupying lands in Nigeria?”
The bishop warned that extremist groups are pushing further south, worsening food insecurity and creating one of Africa’s largest displacement crises. “Violence is spreading southward, displacing millions and destroying farmland,” he noted.
While thanking President Trump for the CPC designation, Anagbe insisted that “words must be followed by action.” He called for targeted sanctions, expanded humanitarian support, and the passage of the Nigerian Religious Freedom and Accountability Act.
“This point cannot be overemphasised because it is impunity that fuels the violence we suffer,” he argued.
He closed his testimony with a solemn and urgent plea, warning that time is running out. “The church alone cannot stop the killings. It requires coordinated political, military and humanitarian intervention,” Anagbe said.
“Mr Chairman and members, we cannot afford to wait any longer. Please enact concrete actions according to the CPC designation. We all know that inaction emboldens the extremists even more.”
