“Declare a State of Emergency in Benue” – Catholic Bishops Urge Tinubu Over Killings

The Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), a coalition of Catholic priests, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Benue State following a surge in deadly attacks. Their appeal comes in the wake of a violent assault on Sunday that left 43 people dead in communities across Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Leonard Kawas, president-general of the CBCN, said the deteriorating security situation in Benue has reached a critical level. He described the government’s response as inadequate and called for immediate action to halt the bloodshed and protect citizens.

Kawas also voiced strong support for Wilfred Anagbe, the Catholic bishop of Makurdi Diocese, who he said has faced threats for consistently speaking out against the killings. Anagbe, along with Reverend Father Remigius Ihyula, previously testified before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee in March, highlighting the displacement of Christian farmers and warning of what they described as a campaign of Islamisation in Nigeria.

“We stand with Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe in his courageous stance against the atrocities committed against our people,” Kawas said, flanked by fellow clergy members. “As shepherds of the flock, it is our duty to speak out against injustice and defend the dignity of human life.”

He criticized what he termed the federal government’s silence in the face of ongoing violence, adding that Nigeria, once capable of leading successful peacekeeping missions across West Africa, now struggles to protect its own citizens.

“The persistent killings, displacement, and trauma inflicted on our communities are a grave affront to humanity, and we will not be silenced,” Kawas declared. “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.”

Kawas stressed the urgency of the situation, demanding that President Tinubu take decisive steps to restore order and bring those responsible for the violence to justice. He warned that without immediate intervention, the crisis in Benue could further spiral out of control.