Catholic lawyers condemn call for arrest, prosecution of Bishop, Rev Father

…Say, Nigeria lost 15 parishes, 124 priests kidnapped in 6 years

Polycarp Aande, president of the National Association of Catholic Lawyers of Nigeria (NACL) has strongly condemned calls for the arrest and prosecution of the Bishops of Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe and his priest, Religius Ihula for daring to speak for the cause of truth as contained in their passionate appeal to the international community, saying that, between the period 2018 and 2024, Nigeria has lost about 15 parishes, 124 priests kidnapped, some killed, and others regained freedom but at very high cost with many churches destroyed.

The president of the National Association of Catholic Lawyers made the call Friday, 11 April 2025 at a press conference held at Pope John Paul Pastoral Center Kanshio- Makurdi, the state capital.

Aande, who described the call for arrest and persecution as a misplaced, ill-conceived, unnecessary, unwarranted, pointed out that Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reported the 2024 Christmas Day massacre that claimed the lives of 47 Christians attending a service in Anwase in the Diocese of Gboko, Benue State. Adults and children were killed, and eight parish buildings- including the church and clinic- were burnt to ashes.

Polycarp, who wondered why the Bishops’ plea triggered such reactions from key government figures, including the president of the Senate, speaker of the House of Representatives and Muslim groups, emphasized that in April, 2018, two priests and over 17 parishioners were massacred in the morning Mass at St Ignatius Parish Ayar- Mbalom in Benue State. On 5 June, 2022 a mass shooting and bomb attack occurred in the Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria, killing over 40 people with the highest estimate being around 80 persons. Between October, 2019 and September 2023, terrorist group killed 55,910 people abducted 21,000 others in Nigeria.

The Catholic Lawyer explained that Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, Wilfred Anagbe on the 12 March 2025 at the United States House on Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Africa anchored his plea on the plight of Christians in n 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).

He stressed that the Bishop’s passionate plea detailed the persecution 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. Prominent among those embittered by the plea of the Bishop is the Nigerian supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, who have accused the Bishop of spreading “Islamophobic tropes” and Muslim Public Affairs Center.

The Association which throws support behind Bishop Anagbe described the attacks and calls for action against the Bishop troubling and unnecessary”, saying, the government in defense, through the ministry of foreign affairs described Nigeria as a “beacon of religious tolerance and coexistence” and further said that the recent testimonies of the Bishop amount to pitching Christians against Muslims which is not true.

The Association which urged Christians and well-meaning Nigerians to rise in defense of the Christian faith said that, “the Constitutional mandate and primary responsibility of every government is the protection of lives and properties of its citizenry. This responsibility is sacrosanct and non-negotiable.Section 14 (1) (b) of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides that, the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. It therefore, means anything short of this, smacks of failure on the part of the government to give protection to the people”.

He said, “In all democracies, the Constitutions is supreme and its provisions are binding on all forces, authorities and persons throughout the Federation. It guarantees the right to freedom of thought and conscience and religion, right to freedom of expression at the press, including freedom to hold opinions, and to impact ideas and information without interference. See Sections 38 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.In additional these rights are guaranteed by the provision of the AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS (RATIFICATION AND ENFORCEMENT) ACT, LFN, 2004.”