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The United States Mission in Nigeria has expressed strong concern over reports of intimidation and threats targeting two Nigerian religious leaders, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and Rev. Fr. Remigius Ihyula, following their recent appearance before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The clerics testified on March 12 about ongoing human rights abuses in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region.

Anagbe, who video-conferenced with The Catholic Register from Scotland, sharply rebuked the government’s unwillingness to acknowledge and confront the problem in its midst, which includes targeting houses of worship.

“My diocese has lost about 15 parishes between 2018 and 2024,” said Anagbe, who became bishop of Makurdi in 2014. “Between 2015 and 2025, we have had 140-something priests kidnapped, some killed, and some only regain their freedom after ransom has been paid. We’ve had churches destroyed — there have been a lot of attacks even on festive days.”

Anagbe challenged the talking point that Christians are not specifically being targeted.

“If they are not targeted as Christians, let us look at the statistics of what has happened,” said Anagbe. “How many mosques have been destroyed vis-a-vis the Catholic churches or Christian churches that have been burned down? How many imams have been kidnapped?”

In a statement on Thursday, the U.S. Mission emphasized that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of democracy in both Nigeria and the United States. The Mission urged all parties to uphold this right, stressing that no individual should face threats or harassment for speaking out.

“We call on all actors to respect Bishop Anagbe’s and Father Remigius’s right to speak freely without fear of retribution or retaliation,” the statement read.

The U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to supporting democratic principles and human rights globally, including the protection of voices advocating for justice and accountability.

According to Fr. Ihyula, who accompanied Fr Anagbe on his travels to Washington and throughout the United Kingdom, he received a message from an embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, on March 28. The message transmitted to Ihyula warned that there “might be” an arrest warrant for Anagbe upon his return to Nigeria.

“What we have discovered is that there is a threat that has been placed on us, myself and bishop, and this threat is real and is imminent,” said Ihyula. “The purpose of this interview for him was that he should share this message clearly: he wants to go back, and he dares to go back, but it is prudent to say that people who speak about this thing are persecuted. For instance, the bishop has a target on his head.”

Anagbe said, “I can go back. I will be happy as I would not want to be (out of Nigeria) during the Easter celebration, the Paschal Mystery.”

“It is better to go back. Somebody has to speak about the cause of truth. It is good for the nation and the world exactly what is happening. The truth has to be told.”

Threats began even hours before Anagbe spoke to Congress on March 12. He  received a call at 3 a.m. from a brother prelate who shared that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called and warned Anagbe had “better watch his words.”

Anagbe did not back down. He told U.S. policymakers that the “quest to Islamize the land appears high on the agenda of some of the powerful and influential Muslims in Nigeria,” a country with 238 million people split almost evenly between Muslims and Christians. The 60-year-old specifically imparted how Christian farmers are being driven off their fertile land by “militant Fulani herdsmen.”

“They steal and vandalize, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from the elected authorities,” stated Anagbe on March 12. “None of them have been arrested and brought to justice.  This is supported by the corrupt system in which we operate, and the abject poverty among us, which allow the criminals to easily attract more recruits and prey on more victims.”

Source: Catholic Register