As the controversy of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria continues to cause disgust around the world, Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe spoke at the European Parliament today to call for solidarity.
The bishop outlined the need for the European Union to work with the United States for a coordinated response to the issue.
The event was organised by the Patriots group within the parliament.
Upon leaving the room, he was heckled and confronted by pro abortion protestors who had arrived to protest a subsequent meeting.
The reaction on social media was one of disbelief.
You can read his speech in full below:
“Christian Persecution in Nigeria: A Call for Transatlantic Action” Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, CMF, Catholic Bishop of Makurdi, Nigeria
The Honourable György Hölvényi, The Honourable Margarita de La Pisa Members of the EU Parliament, Ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great joy to address you today, having been invited by the Honourable György Hölvényi, whom I first met in 2022 when I visited Brussels to address the European Union Parliament on the killings and displacement situation in Nigeria, particularly in my Diocese of Makurdi. Since then, we have had cause to meet again at some forum, and he was in Makurdi last April with a delegation led by the State Minister for Trade and Religious Affairs, Honourable Tristan Azbej, and others. Thank you, Honourable Hölvényi, for inviting me here today, and I thank all those who are here.
Though some of you may not be aware, since 2014 when I became Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria, I have had to contend with a serious security challenge occasioned by Fulani ethnic militants on a jihad to Islamize Nigeria. This group, like their counterparts ISIS-West Africa, Boko Haram, etc. have unleashed terror on Nigerians for years now.
In the Middle Belt, where my diocese is located, the Fulani terrorists have killed thousands, displaced millions, and have occupied lands belonging to these populations. The killings reached appalling levels when on the 1st of January, 2018 Fulani terrorists killed over seventy persons in a single attack. the victims were buried in a dedicated cemetry that stands today as a reminder to pain we continue to endure. on 24th April, 2018 two of my priests: Frs Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha along side fifteen other worshippers were brutally murdered while celebrating morning Mass.
Desirous of helping our people and since the government in Nigeria would do little to arrest the situation, I have travelled around the world to tell our story and solicit international support for action to stop the killings that have risen to genocidal levels. On March 13, 2025, I appeared before the United States of America House Committee on Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, where I warned that the situation in Nigeria had become grave demanding urgent attention. Even though the Nigerian government debunked my story and even made threats of arrest on me and my staff who accompanied me during the presentation, tragically, recent events in the country have proved my warnings understated.
My advocacy in the international community has been to call attention to the killings of christians in Nigeria that has risen to genocidal levels. There has been continued attacks on vulnerable Christian villages by the Fulani ethnic militia and their counterparts both in the Middle Belt of Nigeria and elsewhere in the country, even as I speak. My own village of Aondona in Gwer West LGA was attacked and several of my relatives killed on May 22, 2025. A convent of Reverend Sisters of the Claratians was displaced along with the local Catholic parish. Within the days following that attack, nearby villages like Naka also witnessed attacks. In fact, on May 24, 2025, one of my priests, Fr. Solomon Atongo, was shot and left to die in a pool of his blood while those travelling with him were abducted. Though he survived the attack, he can barely walk.
Like I testified some days ago in the Congress, these attacks and displacements are not happening only in Benue State but all across the Middle Belt and other parts of Nigeria. On Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025, with the attack occurring late that night into the early hours of April 14, Fulani militants launched a coordinated assault on Christian communities in Plateau State, Nigeria, primarily targeting the village of Zikke in the Bassa Local Government Area, near Jos. This incident was part of a broader wave of violence in the region during Holy Week targeting Christians.
In my own diocese of Makurdi, you are all familiar with the massacres of June 13 in Yelwata where 278 persons—men, women, and children—were killed in a manner too gory to describe here by people shouting “Allahu Akbar” while slaughtering their victims. It took the prayer of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for the government in Nigeria to even acknowledge this evil. Even so, it still seeks to diminish the numbers and has yet to properly care for the survivors even as I speak. Nigeria has sadly become a place where Christians are persecuted violently just for the fact of their religion.
Honourable members, a quick analysis of this problem highlights the fact that the persecution is not only a humanitarian catastrophe; it is a direct threat to European security as well. The same jihadist networks that massacre Christian farming communities in the Nigerian Middle Belt are linked to ISIS-West Africa and Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb. As millions are displaced and lose all livelihood and meaningful engagements, they resort to unsafe coping mechanisms to make ends meet. Displaced youths are radicalized in camps [and] become recruitment material for the very terrorist cells that later attempt to reach Europe via the central Mediterranean route. When we abandon Nigerian Christians, we plant the seeds of tomorrow’s migration and terrorism crises on our own shores.
That is why I come before you today with a simple but urgent proposal: Europe must work hand-in-glove with the United States to stop this slaughter and enable the safe, dignified return of displaced Christians and other victims to their ancestral homes. The United States has already taken important steps. The Trump administration redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern on October 31, 2025. Europe now has the opportunity and the moral duty to match and amplify that commitment. I therefore urge you to act on three concrete fronts:
First, initiate a joint EU–US Task Force on Religious Freedom and Security in Nigeria. This body should coordinate sanctions against identified perpetrators, compel the Nigerian government to end the culture of impunity that protects attackers. They must arrest and prosecute the Fulani ethnic militia and other terror groups who commit these atrocities.
Disband Miyetti Allah association which is the umbrella body that fronts the milita groups. there are similar such groups that should be sanctioned too.
Compel the Nigerian Government to proscribe the blasphemy laws and sharia laws.
Share intelligence on terrorist financing to enable the Nigeria government act on terror financiers.
Launch an EU-funded Safe Return and Reconstruction Programme for displaced Christians in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, and Southern Kaduna. This Should include:
Secure humanitarian corridors protected by and independent force like the African Union or ECOWAS forces with EU logistical support.
Reconstruction of destroyed churches, schools, clinics and homes using European expertise in post-conflict rebuilding and resettlement.
Livelihood programmes that break the cycle of dependency and radicalisation. The many years of displacement has deprived survivors of any livelihood or economic opportunities.
Lastly but most importantly, condition a significant portion of future EU development and security assistance to Nigeria on measurable progress in the following areas:
a) the safe return of at least 500,000 displaced persons within 12 months, b) and the deployment of state forces—rather than withdrawal—when Christian communities are threatened.
Dear Honourable members, the persecuted Christians of Nigeria are not asking for pity. They are asking for justice and the basic right to live and worship in the villages they come from and their families have farmed for generations. Europe once knew what it meant to stand against ideological terror that targeted people for their faith. We must find that courage again.
Let history record that when Nigerian Christians were driven from their homes and their churches burned, the European Parliament did not look away. The blood of the martyrs of Nigeria cries out to you for help please don’t be silent.
Honourable Holveny, members of parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the Catholic diocese of Makurdi and the persecuted brethren in Nigeria, I extend our deepest gratitude for your invaluable support for listening to us and for the efforts to resolve thispressing humanitarian situation. Your dedication, resources, and unwavering commitment will not only alleviate immediate challenges but also restore hope to countless lives. Let me also use this medium to express our deepest gratitude to the government and people of Hungary for help received through the Hungary Helps Agency. worthy of note here is the attention paid to our situation by the Honourable Tristan Azbej and his staff.
I thank the Hungarian embassy in Nigeria for its devotedness to our plight. I also wish to thank our friends at the Aid to the Church in Need International. I will mention particularly Marcela Szymanksi who works tirelessly to amplify our problems. Your efforts exemplify the power of collective action and remind us that when compassion and determination converge, meaningful change becomes possible. The Catholic diocese of Makurdi is honored to have stood alongside you in this endeavor and pledge our continued cooperation as we move forward. Looking ahead, we are inspired by the prospect of building a future rooted in mutual dedication, shared responsibility, and lasting impact. Together, we can strengthen communities, uplift those in need, and create sustainable solutions that endure beyond the present moment. Thank you.