“A genocide”: A bishop speaks bluntly about the suffering of Christians in Nigeria

For years I have been denouncing the genocide that Christians are suffering in Nigeria at the hands of Islamist terrorism.

The words of Pope Leo XIV denouncing the massacres against Christians in Nigeria
Islamists murdered more than 100 Christians in Nigeria in the first half of April

It is a genocide that many in the West do not talk about. For most European politicians and media, this tragedy does not exist or is not described by name. Let us remember that in a resolution adopted on February 8, 2024, the European Parliament condemned the violence against Christians in Nigeria, denouncing that 52,000 Christians have been killed in that country since 2009 and that 18,000 churches and 2,200 Christian schools have been destroyed. Despite this, the resolution avoided the term "genocide", a qualification denied by those who falsely accuse the State of Israel of just that.

This Monday, a Nigerian Catholic bishop spoke bluntly about the suffering of Christians in Nigeria. Monsignor Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, Bishop of Makurdi, said in an interview with Nico Spuntoni published by the Italian daily Il Tempo:

"We need the world to know what is happening here, especially in Benue. The most accurate word to describe the real situation in Nigeria is genocide. The total elimination of the Christian population is underway. A genocide at the hands of jihadists that is also a religious war against us."

The Catholic Bishop of Makurdi explains what he means with these last words:

"For years, a calculated strategy of Islamizing entire swathes of the country has been pursued, implemented through an agenda that includes violent actions. In Benue State, where my diocese is located, 98% of the population is Christian and it has become one of the most dangerous. The attackers are foreign Muslims who destroy churches, kill defenseless inhabitants and expel others, burn their lands and then return to occupy them. But it is a plan of conquest that also includes non-violent actions."

Monsignor Anagbe details the Islamist pressures against Nigerian Christians in these words:

"They change the names of villages to Arabic names. Islamic radicalism is influencing social dynamics in Nigeria: recently, 12 states closed schools for weeks during Ramadan. But it's not just Muslims who live there! This causes considerable harm to Nigerian students. And if they're not closed in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, why are they closed in Nigeria?"

Regarding those who deny that the situation in Nigeria is caused by Islamist terrorism, as some Western media and politicians have done, the Bishop of Makurdi notes:

"They deny reality. There were even those who claimed that what is happening in our lands is attributable to climate change. The powerful take refuge in political correctness to avoid getting straight to the point, and this is paralyzing. Everyone knows what they are doing to us, and we must define it for what it is. If this is not a religious war, tell me, what is?"

The interviewer mentions that the massacre of 200 Christians in Yelewata took place in June and asks the bishop if there is any story that has particularly impacted him. Bishop Anagbe notes:

"They set fire to a room, burning everyone alive, including two babies aged 3 and 5 months. A mother who had taken refuge on a rooftop had to witness the massacre of her five children and, overcome with grief, jumped into the void. But the Yelewata massacre is just the tip of the iceberg, because every day there is an attack in our villages. We have witnesses of pregnant women dismembered by terrorists who then throw the babies into their bellies."

In the interview, the Nigerian bishop warns about the direction Europe is heading: "Islamic radicalism is already strong in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom," and warns that neighboring countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad "cannot accommodate millions of asylum seekers. Not even Europe can even think of planning a reception of this magnitude. So, it is best for everyone to resolve the situation here and guarantee the safety of Nigerian Christians."

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Photo: Dennis Peters / Ayuda a la Iglesia Necesitada.