Benue IDPs need ancestral homes, not rettlements – Bishop 

The Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, has cautioned government at all levels against resettlement of the Benue Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a durable solution.

Bishop Anagbe, who made this known during the 2026 Cathedradicum held at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Makurdi, said Benue IDPs do not need resettlement, what they need is to return back to their original ancestral homes where they can continue with their farm work.

According to the Bishop, “the only durable and sustainable solution the IDPs need is to return them back to  their ancestral homes, which he said government at all levels has the capacity to do by providing enough security especially at the border areas to ensure the safety of the returnees”

Ninenty-Eight per cent of the IDPs if not 100 percent are farmers and choosing a place to resettle them will not make any impact to them because where can they be farming to take care of their bills? What then will happen to their ancestral homes which are mostly occupy by the terrorists?

Bishop Anagbe lamented a situation where the narrative of the killings in Benue and across the country are changed for selfish interest,  adding that when I started the cry for the killing of our people, I was call names, some say, I am partisan, but because I know what I was doing I was not deterred, I thank God that today, every body has seen the truth”

“All I wanted was the killings to stop so that Benue people can conviniently go back to their farming activities and cater for their families, that was why I persisted and took this cry to the international community, thank God we are now on the same page”

“I am glad that everyone in Benue and beyond is now fully aware that the killings in Benue and Nigeria at large is purely Christian Genocide and I want to thank God for hearing my prayers and vindicating me, I want to call Government at all levels to rise to their responsibilities of protecting lives and properties and push out these terrorists occupying the ancestral homes of our people”

He charged Christians not to relent in prayers and as well imbibe the culture of truth, honesty and sincerity, saying only the truth can set them free in whatever situation”

Earlier, Peter Paleve, who is the Dean High Level Deanary, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi commended Bishop Anagbe for keeping faith with his flock by ensuring that the genocide being meted on Christian in Benue and beyond is in the eye of the international community to come to the aid of the State and country.

Paleve who is also the Chief Medical Director, Bishop Murray Medical Centre Makurdi said, “i want to thank the Bishop for sponsoring the surgery of over 250 IDPs with varying diseases ranging from Hernia, Goieta, among other diseases that were slowly killing IDPs