The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) and the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) have accused Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, for spreading falsehood in foreign countries on Islamisation and killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Dr. Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, SCSN Secretary General and Disu Kamor, Executive Chairman of MPAC in separate statements berated the bishop and implored the Federal Government to investigate and prosecute the bishop for his action they warned could cause crisis in Nigeria
Bishop Anagbe told a US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Africa Subcommittee, on March 12, 2025 in the US, that Christians in Benue State and other parts of the country were being killed indiscriminately and schools shut in 12 states of northern Nigeria during the ongoing Ramadan fasting as part of Islamisation agenda of the country.
Baba-Ahmed described the Bishop’s submission before the U.S. Congress, as a propagation of hateful rhetoric and blatant falsehoods.
He said is not only an embarrassment to the Nigerian government but also a matter of deep concern for its law-abiding citizens, both Muslims and Christians.
He refuted the bishop’s claim that “2% of Fulani (Islamists) have taken over lands occupied by 98% Christians” as not only false but misleading.
“His (Anagbe) insinuation that the Nigerian government is complicit effectively suggests that the current Governor of Benue State, himself a Catholic priest, is part of the alleged conspiracy.
“This is a profoundly reckless and unfounded accusation against the very institutions responsible for governance, implying not only the complicity of the Federal Governments, and that even a Christian priest-governor is involved.”
“Clearly the bishop has exposed the contradictions and malicious intent behind his claims, which appear to be deliberately aimed at fostering distrust and inciting religious tensions.
“The council (SCSN) remains committed to countering the malicious lies of conflict merchants who, under the guise of religious leadership, seek to sow seeds of discord and fuel violence in our fragile nation.
“Even in places where flags of Islamophobia are allowed to blossom, the world is a lot wiser and no longer a place where falsehoods can thrive unchallenged, as facts are verifiable at the click of a button.
“For instance, recent reports from multiple credible sources, including the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), the Global Terrorism Index, and even Christian organizations such as the East-West Christian Association, paint a more accurate picture of Nigeria’s security challenges.
“These reports emphasize that the country’s insecurity crisis is a complex interplay of insurgency, banditry, and ethnic conflicts affecting all communities. The violence does not exclusively target Christians; rather, both Christian and Muslim civilians are victims of these challenges.
“Evidence suggests that factors such as insurgency, economic disparities, ethnic conflicts, and organized crime significantly contribute to the unrest. The overarching pattern points to a broader anti-state agenda rather than a purely religious conflict,” Baba-Ahmad said.
He counseled the Nigerian Christian community not to have anything to do with such inflammatory rhetoric and actively debunk these dangerous lies.
According to Baba-Ahmed, religious leaders have a responsibility to promote peace, not division and that silence in the face of such blatant misinformation not only serves to embolden those who seek to destabilize the nation, but is also a strong indication of criminal complicity.
On his part, Disu Kamor said Bishop Anagbe’s many allegations and dangerous claims cannot be substantiated
Citing one of the most outrageous allegations of the Bishop that Christians in Benue State, which is governed almost entirely by Christians, Kamor said the state is peopled by 98 per cent Christian population (according to the Bishop), is under existential threat from “Islamist extremists”.
Kamor said the logic of this allegation is that two percent of the population, is terrorizing, and poses an existential threat to the 98 per cent of the population that is totally in control of all the aspects of the life in Benue State, including the control of resources and security apparatus.
