Catholic lawyers condemn calls for Bishop Anagbe’s arrest

•Say 124 priests kidnapped, 15 parishes lost in 6 years

From Scholastica Hir Makurdi

The National Association of Catholic Lawyers of Nigeria (NACL), Makurdi Diocese, Benue State has condemned strongly the calls for arrest and prosecution of Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Most Rev Wilfred Anagbe and one of his priests, Rev Fr. Remigius Ihyula, for daring to speak on the killings and atrocities against Christians and farmers in Nigeria and Benue State in particular. The lawyers stated this during a press conference in Makurdi on Friday, while reacting to “certain uncomplimentary and uninformed statements against Bishop Anagbe regarding his testimonies before the United States House on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa on 12 March, 2025.”

Addressing newsmen, the association’s President, Polycarp Aande, said information available to them show that the Bishop anchored his plea on the plight of Christians in Nigeria, their increasing persecution which has remained unabated and called on the US and UK to re-designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC). Recall that Nigeria had borne the status in the past.   They said: “His passionate plea details the persecutions of Christians especially in northern and central regions of Nigeria, where he said there was an agenda to ‘reduce and eventually eliminate the Christian identity’ of the country.”

According to them: “It is unfortunate that the Bishop’s plea has triggered responses, reactions and backlash from key government figures, including the president of the Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives.” They equally pointed out that between 2018 and 2024, Nigeria has lost about 15 parishes, 124 priests were kidnapped, some killed, and others regained freedom but at very high cost, while many churches have been destroyed.