Catholic bishops in Nigeria have renewed their demands for an end to the killing of Christians in the country, saying there is “no justification for the continuous bloodletting”.
The statement comes in the wake of a spate of attacks in Benue State that left at least 100 people dead.
On June 1, armed groups believed to be Jihadist Fulani herdsmen struck communities in Gwer West and Apa counties, killing at least 43 people. Similar attacks had earlier taken place in several villages in Gwer that led to the deaths of 42 people.
In Plateau State, nearly 40 people were killed between June 1 and June 2, and between May 24 and 25,at least 50 civilians – most of them Christians were butchered by Fulani herdsmen in Munga Lelau and Munga Dasso-two farming communities in Karim-Lamido county in Taraba state.
And over 179 Christians were massacred in separate attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt during the Easter Triduum, between April 18–20.
According to Genocide Watch, over 45,000 Christians were killed between 2009 and March 2022. Approximately 30,000 moderate Muslims were also killed during the period.
Thousands of people have been forced to flee because of the attacks. According to the Catholic-inspired NGO, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety, Fulani herdsmen have already uprooted some 950 Christian communities in Nigeria’s South East, with the Fulani Jihadists taking over those communities.
Africa’s most populous nation has been the theater of anti-Christian killings since 2009, with Christian non-profit, Open Doors reporting that 3,100 Christians were killed in Nigeria in 2024 alone, and more than 2,000 kidnapped.
Catholic bishops in the country have once more spoken forcefully against the continued massacres.
The bishops said in their statement: “There is no justification whatsoever for the continuous bloodletting that has become the daily reality of many in Benue State and across Nigeria.
"The relentless attacks on innocent and defenseless communities under the watch of civil authorities constitute a grave moral and constitutional failure. Hence, this carnage must end."
The bishops said they recognised the efforts of the Benue State Government to provide the population with much needed infrastructure and the payment of civil servants ‘salaries, but noted that such achievements ring hollow in the face of failure to protect citizens.
They said: “No matter how well a government pays salaries or builds roads, its failure to protect human lives renders its achievements hollow.
"The sanctity of human life is supreme. It is sacred. It is inviolable. Any government that fails to make the safety and protection of its citizens and their property its foremost priority abdicates its fundamental responsibility and moral legitimacy."
In comments to <em>Crux</em>, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja (pictured) said Christian communities have continued to grow in spite of the attacks.
“The spate of killings, kidnappings, and destruction of church personnel and facilities in Nigeria is a continuation of a situation Nigerians have had to deal with for many years,” Archbishop Kaigama said.
“The Christian communities in northern Nigeria, especially those in Plateau state, continue to endure violent attacks by armed groups.
"The Middle Belt region remains a hotbed for these brutal assaults, while the Islamic militant group Boko Haram is intensifying its activities against Christians in the Northeast. Boko Haram’s continued targeting of Christians in Northeastern Nigeria compounds the suffering."
The archbishop blamed poor leadership and the resultant high levels of poverty for some of the killings.
Emeka Umeagbalasi, the director of Intersociety, said Christians are being targeted in a genocidal attempt to replace them with Muslims, an agenda which he believes is being pushed by the government.
In an interview with International Christian Concern, he noted that there has been a large radicalisation of the Nigerian military with “Jihadists conscripted through the backdoor into the country’s security forces”.
He said much of the radicalisation happened under former President, Muhamadu Buhari, who is a Fulani man himself.
The bishops said “every single death in such circumstances is a national tragedy and a scandal against our common humanity.”
They urged the Nigerian government-both at federal and state levels to take “immediate, firm, and sustained action to secure lives and restore hope to our people".
As if the killings by fellow humans haven’t been enough, Nigeria also suffered its worst floods in 60 years when over 150 people were killed as floodwaters swept through Niger state.
Bishop Martin Igwemezie Uzoukwu of Minna said besides the deaths, the floods wiped out full communities, with the people losing virtually everything.
“Be assured of our prayers and our support as we work together to rebuild the community and restore hope to our people,” he said.
<em>(Photo of Archbishop Kaigama by Simon Caldwell)</em>
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