Nigeria: one year after Yelewata massacre, Church continues to demand justice for the victims
During a memorial mass held on the first anniversary of the tragedy, Bishop Anagbe remembered the victims and renewed his call for the displaced to be able to return to their homes safely.
One year after the Yelewata massacre in the Nigerian state of Benue, which claimed the lives of more than 250 people, hundreds gathered on Saturday, 13 June to remember the victims of one of the deadliest attacks suffered by Christian communities in the region in recent years.
The memorial mass brought together survivors, relatives of the victims, and members of the local Church in an act of prayer and remembrance for those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The ceremony also included a message of solidarity sent by the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, who assured them of the prayers of the universal Church and recalled that, despite persecution and suffering, the Church’s evangelising mission will continue.
In a conversation with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) after the memorial service, the Bishop of Makurdi, Right Reverend Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, insisted that the killing of innocent people constitutes “a serious crime against God and against humanity” and demanded that those responsible for the attacks be brought to justice.
The bishop also lamented the lack of an effective response to protect vulnerable populations, noting that Yelewata is located a short distance from major urban centres where security forces are stationed, and that the severity of the violence affecting Christian communities in Benue continues to be downplayed or denied by certain sectors.
One of the central messages shared by Bishop Anagbe was the situation of the internally displaced. Families that have been driven from their lands by violence should not be forced to remain indefinitely in camps or temporary settlements, he explained. “The displaced must return to their ancestral homes.”
Parish priest of Yelewata: “God has not abandoned us”
The concerns expressed by Bishop Anagbe align with the testimony that ACN gathered in Yelewata during a recent visit to the community. There, representatives of the foundation met with Father Jonathan Ukuma, the local parish priest and a direct witness to the massacre.
Recalling the attack, the priest described the panic in that “terrible night” when armed men assaulted the community for over three hours. Many villagers took refuge in the church, which had already become a sanctuary for those who had fled violence from other villages. At dawn, the priest encountered a devastating scene. “We saw unrecognisable bodies, burnt beyond all identification,” he recounted. In total, 259 people died in the attack.
Despite the trauma and suffering, Father Jonathan decided to remain with his community to accompany the survivors. “God has not abandoned us. Faith overcomes any challenge,” he affirmed.
One year after the massacre, many families have lost everything: their homes, their livelihoods, and numerous loved ones. “People need support to regain their dignity and their hope,” the priest stressed.
Father Jonathan acknowledges that one of the greatest challenges for Christians affected by violence is forgiveness. However, he insists that reconciliation is an essential part of the Christian path. “To be forgiven, we must also learn to forgive,” he explained, inviting people to pray even for those who have caused so much suffering.
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