Opinion
By Mike Odeh James
In a chilling display of intolerance and authoritarianism, Nigeria’s ruling elite and Islamist groups have united in a disgraceful campaign to silence Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese. His only crime? Daring to speak the truth before the U.S. Congress about the relentless slaughter and displacement of Christian communities by Fulani terrorists in Benue and across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Bishop Anagbe’s testimony was not hyperbole—it was a brutal account of horror: parishes burned, priests kidnapped or executed, and congregants massacred, even on sacred days like Christmas. His facts were backed by international watchdogs like Aid to the Church in Need. But rather than address the atrocities, Nigeria’s government—true to form—lashed out, accusing the bishop of peddling “misinformation.”
Worse, Muslim groups like the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) and the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) responded with venom, labeling Anagbe’s testimony “Islamophobic” and calling for punitive action. Their statements thinly veil threats, cloaked in pseudo-diplomatic language designed to intimidate not just Anagbe, but any Christian who dares speak truth to power.
This is not new. From the attempted arrest of Apostle Johnson Suleman to Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s vendetta against Pastor Paul Enenche, Nigeria’s power structure has long waged war on outspoken Christian leaders. The goal is clear: silence the Church, erase the victims, and protect the perpetrators.
Disturbingly, not only Bishop Anagbe but also Rev. Remigius Ihyula, who accompanied him to Washington, has been penciled for arrest. According to reliable sources, Rev. Ihyula is now a target of state reprisal—not merely warned, but marked for detention, part of a calculated attempt to criminalize advocacy for persecuted Christians.
Christian leaders across Nigeria have rallied behind Anagbe and Ihyula, refusing to be cowed. But the stakes are higher than ever. What we are witnessing is not just persecution—it is a coordinated campaign of suppression by a government desperate to cover its complicity and appease radical elements.
The world must not look away. Bishop Anagbe spoke for the voiceless—and now his own voice is under threat. To remain silent is to be complicit in Nigeria’s descent into religious tyranny.
For more on the controversy involving Bishop Anagbe, see our in-depth reporting here.
