Nigerian bishop’s village endured a brutal massacre this week, claiming dozens of Christian lives after Bishop Wilfred Anagbe brought lawmakers’ attention to religious persecution in the U.S. Congress. The targeted violence underscores the dire threats facing believers in the central Benue region.
On May 25, extremist Fulani herdsmen ambushed several villages in Benue State, including Aondona—Bishop Anagbe’s hometown. A Truth Nigeria report documented that “nearly 40 people, more than half of them Christians,” lost their lives in the assault. Survivor accounts describe scenes of gunmen storming homes, abducting a Catholic priest and nuns, and leaving a trail of destruction.
Analysts say the attacks followed Bishop Anagbe’s March testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, where he warned of an “Islamist extermination” targeting Nigerian Christians. His testimony included chilling details: “the experience of the Nigerian Christians today can be summed up as that of a Church under Islamist extermination. It is frightening to live there.” Three days after his appearance in Congress, the violence erupted in his own village—prompting many to view the assault as deliberate retaliation.
Douglas Burton of Truth Nigeria emphasized the connection in televised remarks: “It’s a tragic situation … Fulani terrorists attacked [Anagbe’s] home village.” Burton estimated the death toll at “up to 36,” while international sources suggest at least 42 fatalities across several communities including Ahume and Tyolaha.
This bloodshed is part of a broader campaign. Recent reports reveal over 100 Christians killed and more than 5,000 displaced since May 24 in Benue, Taraba, and Plateau States. Church leaders describe the violence as an existential crisis. “This is horror, this is terror. You cannot imagine the reality we live in here,” said Fr. Oliver Ortese.
Nigerian authorities have yet to arrest perpetrators or address the violence meaningfully. Burton warned, “There’s been no evidence that these attacks will be halted.” Bishop Anagbe has urged global churches and governments to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern and deploy a Special Envoy to combat escalating religious persecution
