The Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has condemned the persistent killings by criminal herdsmen in Benue state.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, president-general of CBCN, Bishop Leonard Kawas, called on Presidemmnt Bola Tinubu to declare emergency rule in Benue to address the killings.
Kawas also condemned the alleged threat on the Catholic bishop of Makurdi diocese, Rt. Reb. Wilfred Anagbe who has been speaking against the killings.
On March 12, 2025, Anagbe, and Remigius Ihyula, a reverend father, appeared before the United States House of Representatives committee on foreign affairs to testify about militants killing and forcibly displacing Christian farmers in Benue state.
The clergymen also claimed that there is an ongoing campaign of Islamisation in the country.
“We stand with bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe in his courageous stance against the atrocities committed against our people,” Kawas said.
He said further that, “As shepherds of the flock, it is our duty to speak out against injustice and defend the dignity of human life.
“The recent spate of insecurity in our nation is so worrisome that one would wonder if this is not the same Nigeria that silenced the dreaded Liberian rebels and sent peacekeepers all over West Africa who were exceptional in carrying out their duties and earned accolades wherever they were assigned.
“The persistent killings, displacement, and trauma inflicted on our communities are a grave affront to humanity, and we will not be silenced. The situation in Benue state has become unbearable.
“Innocent citizens are being killed, their homes burned, and their livelihoods destroyed. The government’s inaction is deafening and it seems as though the lives of our people are of little importance.
“We cannot continue to watch as our communities are ravaged by violence and destruction. We urge that President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Benue state to address the catastrophic situation on the ground.”
Kawas called on the government to act swiftly to arrest the perpetrators and bring an end to the killingsand destructios .
