By Paschal Norbert
KATSINA-ALA, AUGUST 15, 2025 (CISA) – Suspected Fulani militants launched a brutal assault on St. Paul’s Parish, Aye-Twar (Agu Centre) in Benue State’s Katsina-Ala Diocese on August 11, 2025, desecrating the church, burning the rectory to ashes, and destroying parish facilities in what Catholic leaders have condemned as a “genocidal attack” on the community.
The attackers, described by witnesses as armed Fulani herdsmen, stormed the parish premises at night, vandalizing the church building, demolishing the parish secretariat, torching pastoral vehicles, and destroying household items and valuables. The violence has left the once-thriving Catholic community desolate, with residents fleeing for their lives.
The Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Association (NCDPA) of Katsina-Ala Diocese said the incident was the latest in a wave of sustained assaults on Aye-Twar and surrounding villages. In a statement signed by its chairman, Fr Samuel Fila, the association said the parish priest had already been forced to relocate months earlier, maintaining only minimal pastoral activities due to the persistent insecurity.
“All 26 outstations under the parish are now occupied by the armed group,” Fr Fila said, explaining further “The entire Agu Centre community has been deserted. This is no longer about farmer-herder conflicts, it is a premeditated, well-coordinated effort aimed at genocidal cleansing, territorial domination, and the occupation of lands that rightfully belong to us.”
Images and testimonies from the scene reveal the extent of destruction: shattered church windows, charred remnants of the rectory, and the silent ruins of once-busy parish buildings. Residents said the attack was sudden and overwhelming, leaving them no time to gather belongings before fleeing.
“This was not just an attack on property, but on the soul of our community,” one parishioner said. “They want us gone.”
In a strongly worded Facebook post on August 13, Fr Benjamin Versue, a priest of the Katsina-Ala Diocese, lamented the loss of the parish rectory he had “sacrificed everything to build.” He accused the Nigerian military of failing to protect civilians, and even of indirectly aiding the attackers by disarming residents.
“Kudos to the Nigerian army for successfully disarming the people and making them vulnerable to their attackers,” he wrote with bitter irony.
“The cries of the people echo through the land as the Fulani invaders, equipped with logistics and high-level intelligence provided by military personnel, attack and slaughter unarmed civilians in their sleep, leaving a trail of blood flowing like a river.”
Fr Versue described the assault as a national disgrace, saying Nigeria’s “so-called giant of Africa” now has a “dwarf military” incapable of safeguarding its citizens.
A Growing Crisis in Benue State
Benue State, part of Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, has faced years of deadly violence attributed to armed herdsmen and other militant groups. Catholic leaders warn that without decisive government action; entire communities’ risk being wiped out and the Church’s presence in rural areas erased.
For the people of Aye-Twar, the future is uncertain. With their homes destroyed, parish facilities ruined, and fear of further attacks hanging over them, many say they see little hope of returning soon.
“This is more than a security crisis,” Fr. Fila said. “It is a fight for survival, identity, and the right to live on the land of our ancestors.”
