Bishop criticizes silence regarding the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Newsroom (02/11/2022 09:00 PM, Gaudium Press) At the European Parliament in Brussels, Bishop Wilfred Chipka Anagbe of Makurdi City, Nigeria, has denounced the lack of interest and help for the persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
The world sees what is happening in Nigeria and there is a conspiracy of silence, however “now it is more than a conspiracy; it is open support, complicity and incitement to these acts, as the guilty never face any consequences,” stressed the bishop, who was in Europe for several weeks at the invitation of the organization Aid to the Church in Need in Germany (Kirche in Not) .
He described the situation in Nigeria as “nothing but a jihad that goes by many names: terrorism, kidnappings, murderous pastors, banditry, militias and so on.” Speaking to MEPs and other EU representatives, he rejected the idea that Nigeria’s conflicts had nothing to do with religion.
Benue state, where the diocese of Makurdi is located, is also under attack, “because the majority of the population has firmly expressed its will not to surrender its identity and value to radical Islam.
The situation remains particularly difficult in northern Nigeria. Christians are a minority there and are often subject to Sharia (the Koran’s set of norms). In central Nigeria, the attacks are religiously motivated, but also in the conflict over land and resources.
According to the government, more than 5,000 people have been killed and more than two million displaced in Benue state between 2011 and June 2022. “There is a remarkable shortage of food and a total loss of human dignity as men, women and children often resort to inhumane means to survive,” the bishop stressed.
Bishop Anagbe emphasized that many priests have already been kidnapped or murdered this year. He called for support from Europe: “I ask everyone to come to the aid of the Christian community in Nigeria before it is too late.”
