By Paschal Norbert
MAKURDI, APRIL 14, 2025 (CISA) – An explosion of outrage has erupted following reports that the Nigerian government is allegedly plotting the arrest of Rt Rev Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, CMF, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, upon his return to Nigeria. The threat is believed to be linked to his bold testimony before the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 12, 2025, where he detailed the dire security situation and systemic persecution of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
On March 28, 2025, Fr Remigius Ihyula, a priest of the Makurdi Diocese and a fellow witness at the US hearing, received a warning message from an embassy in Abuja. The message indicated there “might be” an arrest warrant awaiting Bishop Anagbe’s return to Nigeria.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria has expressed deep concern about these threats, stating: “The US Mission in Nigeria is disturbed by this report of intimidation and threats against Nigerian religious leaders Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and Rev. Fr. Remigius because of their March 12 testimony before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) on the human rights situation in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Freedom of expression is an essential human right and central to the function of democracy, in Nigeria and the United States. No one should be subject to threats for exercising that right. We call on all actors to respect Bishop Anagbe’s and Father Remigius’s right to speak freely without fear of retribution or retaliation.”
The Bishop’s Testimony
In his testimony before the U.S. Congress, Bishop Anagbe painted a grim picture of the persecution and violence in Benue State and beyond:
“Nigeria, and especially my diocese and the state of Benue, have become, in recent years, one of the most dangerous and insecure places for Christians,” he said, noting that 3 million of Benue’s 6 million residents fall under his pastoral care.
He described the ongoing atrocities as part of a long-term Islamic agenda to “reduce and eventually eliminate the Christian identity” in Nigeria, especially in the central regions.
“Militant Fulani herdsmen are terrorists destroying society. They steal and vandalize, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from the elected authorities. None of them have been arrested and brought to justice,” he testified.
The bishop also highlighted specific attacks, including the Christmas massacres of 2024, in which at least 47 were killed, and the destruction of eight Catholic churches in the Catholic Diocese of Gboko.
“The experience of the Nigerian Christians today can be summed up as that of a Church under Islamist extermination. It is frightening to live there!” he declared.
National and Local Backlash
Following the threats, waves of solidarity have poured in from across the country and beyond.
The Makurdi Catholic Diocesan Laity Council issued a powerful statement, condemning the alleged plot as “a vile assault on the very pillars of freedom.”
“Should these threats prove true, they would constitute a vile assault on the very pillars of freedom: the right to speak, the right to worship, and the sacred duty of a shepherd to shield his flock from wolves… We want to know why Bishop Anagbe is being singled out for arrest while the Fulani terrorists pillaging our land roam freely,” the Council stated in their April 10 declaration.
“Since 2001, this scourge has plagued us, and since ascending to the episcopacy in 2014, Bishop Anagbe has been a lion in our defense, roaring against the injustice that seeks to bury us… This is not a personal vendetta, but a battle for the survival and freedom of our people,” the statement added.
Echoing the laity’s sentiments, the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA) of Makurdi described the alleged move as a “dangerous affront to freedom of speech, religious liberty, and the fundamental right of a pastor to speak in defense of his flock.”
“We affirm that Bishop Anagbe has spoken the truth, a truth which many suffer in silence… To target the Bishop for persecution would be to attack the truth itself and to deny the ongoing killings and sufferings of thousands of displaced persons,” the NCDPA said in their April 10 statement.
The priests demanded “the immediate assurance of safety and freedom” for Bishop Anagbe, calling on religious bodies, civil society, and the international community to intervene.
Broader Implications
The unfolding controversy has rekindled global concern about Nigeria’s deteriorating security and human rights record. Bishop Anagbe’s call for the US to re-designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” has gained traction among advocacy groups and international observers.
“I speak on behalf of those whose loved ones have been killed… of the thousands of young girls who have been abducted and raped… of my flock who are unable to return to their ancestral farms and homes because that land has been ruthlessly taken from them,” the Bishop said during his testimony.
For now, the faithful in Benue and across Nigeria wait with bated breath. Whether the government acts on the alleged arrest plan remains to be seen, but the backlash against any such move would likely be swift, loud, and global.
“The voice of the shepherd must not be silenced. The cry of the oppressed must not be ignored. Truth is not a crime and so, must never be criminalized,” the priests of Makurdi declared.
