Makurdi, 08 November, 2024 / 9:20 pm (ACI Africa).
Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria has called for action to address escalating insecurity in Nigeria’s Benue State, which has led to the closure of over 15 parishes in his Episcopal See.
In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of the 7th International Theological Conference organized by the Institute of Consecrated Life in Africa (InCLA), Bishop Anagbe urged the Nigerian government to prioritize security to restore hope and enable displaced persons to return to their ancestral homes.
“Benue State is like the epicenter of what is happening. In my Diocese of Makurdi, I have lost about 14 to 15 parishes now,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop said.
He added, “When I mean parishes, some parishes have about 20 outstations, some have about 15. It covers almost about 20 to 25 kilometers. So, the demography of the state and the Diocese is shrinking.”
The Catholic Bishop clarified that the closure of parishes owing to insecurity is also being witnessed in Otukpo Diocese as well as in Katsina-Ala Diocese. The two are equally in embattled areas of Nigeria.