Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Makurdi has faulted authorities for neglect and complicity in the violence that has displaced nearly two million people.

Bishop Anagbe said the humanitarian crisis in Makurdi Diocese and other parts of the country cannot be categorised as a natural disaster but must be seen as a result of human actions and deliberate inaction by those in authority.

“The government cannot claim ignorance of the situation in Benue state, where Makurdi Diocese is situated. Millions of people in my diocese are displaced, living in camps without basic amenities, while attacks on communities continue,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop told ACI Africa in an interview on the 1st of September.

“The people feel abandoned, and the Church cannot be silent in the face of this injustice,” Bishop Anagbe said.

He explained that the crisis in Benue State is not only a security problem but also a serious economic challenge with implications for food production in Nigeria.

“Benue is regarded as the food basket of the nation, but our people can no longer farm; instead, they are reduced to beggars in their own land, while armed groups freely occupy their ancestral homes. This has far-reaching consequences for food security and the stability of the country,” he lamented.

Bishop Anagbe said the Church had been providing support for the displaced persons but due to the overwhelming needs in the camps the church resources is insufficient.

“We are crying out not just for food and shelter, but for justice and peace. The world must not look away while our people suffer,” he said.

“In one of the camps, you have over 3,000 households, not just inmates. there’s one in Otukpo Diocese,  in Katsina-Ala Diocese, one in Gboko Diocese and in the rest of the places. This is not only in Benue. You have the same situation in Plateau State, in Taraba State, and all around this country,” He recounted.

Bishop Anagbe said the situation reflects a national tragedy that demands urgent action.

“This is not a natural disaster. It is calculatedly done. There is a reason which they know, an agenda which they have, and it happens every day while people keep quiet,” he said.

“The government is aiding and supporting the insurgency. It is not just a conspiracy of silence. It is aiding and supporting what is going on,” Bishop Anagbe said.

The Bishop also decried the absence of accountability despite years of attacks on rural communities.

“All these years we’ve talked, nobody has been arrested. And when they say someone is arrested, what have they done to them?” he posed.

He noted that the Church will continue to stand with the displaced, even as he acknowledged that its resources is growing thin.

The Catholic Bishop urged the Nigerians not to remain silent but to demand accountability and justice.

“The dignity of human life is at stake; if we do not act now, we will all pay the price.” Bishop Anagbe concluded.