The Supreme Council for Shari?ah in Nigeria (SCSN) and the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) have berated Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, for spreading falsehood abroad on Islamisation and killing of Christians in Nigeria.

This is contained in separate statements by Dr. Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, SCSN Secretary General and Disu Kamor, Executive Chairman of MPAC.

The Organisations asked the federal government to investigate and prosecute the bishop for his action to cause crisis in the country.

Daily Trust reports that Bishop Anagbe appeared before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Africa Subcommittee, on 12th March, 2025 in the US, where he among others claimed that Christians in Benue 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.

The SCSN scribe, however said that the Catholic priest briefing before the U.S. Congress, in which he propagated hateful rhetoric and blatant falsehoods, is not only an embarrassment to the Nigerian government but also a matter of deep concern for its law-abiding citizens, both Muslim and Christian.

Dr. Baba-Ahmad said the bishop?s claim that ?2% of Fulani (Islamists) have taken over lands occupied by 98% Christians? is 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 urged the Nigerian Christian community to dissociate itself from such inflammatory rhetoric and actively debunk these dangerous lies.

The SSCN scribe said that 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 that Bishop Anagbe?s testimony contains many unsubstantiated allegations and dangerous claims.

According to him, one of the most outrageous allegations of the Bishop is that Christians in Benue State, which is governed almost entirely by Christians, has 98% Christian population (according to the Bishop), is under existential threat from ?Islamist extremists?.

Kamor said that the logic of this allegation is that 2% of the population, is terrorizing, and poses an existential threat to the 98% 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. (Weekend Trust)

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