“The malevolent attack left in its wake the desecration and destruction of the Parish Church, the destruction of the Parish Secretariat, the burning to ashes of the Father’s House, destruction of household items, pastoral logistics, and vehicles in addition to many other valuable items,” NCDPA members ministering in Katsina-Ala Diocese lament.
They note that at the moment, the entire Agu Centre community has been deserted by the locals for fear of more attacks.
The Catholic Priests further say, “Aye-Twar is only one out of innumerable communities that are currently under a sustained invasion by dangerously armed Fulani terrorists.”
They “vehemently” denounce the alarming and brutal assaults carried out by the heavily armed Fulani militia groups without any intervention by either the government or security agencies.
“This genocidal occurrence not only represents an attack against the Church and the Diocese of Katsina-Ala in particular, but a direct assault on government at all levels, the security operatives, the traditional institutions, and indeed all stakeholders,” NCDPA members further say.
They note that the violence has gone beyond what is often described as “farmer-herder conflicts,” calling it a “premeditated and coordinated effort aimed at territorial domination.”
The attackers, they say, operate from neighbouring Taraba State, retreating to known hideouts without intervention from government or security agencies.
Call for Justice and Action
NCDPA members urge the government at all levels to “take urgent steps to rebuild and pay restitution for damages to St. Paul’s Parish, Aye-Twar, and to ensure the security of people and lands in Benue State.”
They call for a “joint investigation by the governments of Benue and Taraba States to bring perpetrators to justice, for security agencies to act without compromise, and for the international community to take note of what they described as recurrent acts of religious persecution.”
