Christian World | Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi says Nigeria's government has the capacity but not the will to end attacks in Benue, and ignored warnings before Yelwata

ACW | November 6, 2026 — Nigeria's government has the capacity to stop deadly attacks in Benue state but lacks the will to do so, Catholic Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Makurdi told ACI Africa.

The bishop spoke on Tuesday, Nov. 3, on the sidelines of a national workshop for lay Church leaders organized by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, ACI Africa reported. Its sister service EWTN News published the interview on Friday.

"It is not that they lack the capacity; they lack the willingness," Anagbe said. "If the government wants, even the vigilantes in the villages can handle this issue."

He said local vigilantes warned of the attack on Yelwata about a month and three weeks in advance, and again 24 hours before it. The assault lasted about four hours, giving security forces time to intervene, he said. "But no help came."

The victims were initially denied a proper burial, Anagbe said. The Church later gave them a Christian burial and inscribed their names on a memorial in Yelwata. "The people must know that the Church has not forgotten them," he said.

No response from the Nigerian government to his remarks appeared in published reports.

Background: Gunmen killed at least 100 people in Yelwata, in Benue state, in an attack from late on June 13 into the morning of June 14, 2025, Amnesty International said at the time, according to Al Jazeera. A Benue state government spokesperson put the toll at 45.

Why it matters: After the massacre, Amnesty said the authorities' failure to stem the violence was costing people's lives and livelihoods. The bishop of Makurdi now says warnings were given before the attack and no preventive action followed.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: ACI Africa / EWTN News — Interview with the bishop of Makurdi; Al Jazeera — At least 100 killed in Benue (background)

Photo: ACI Africa