Nigerian Bishop’s Testimony before US Congress Sparks Outrage as Islamic Groups Slam Anagbe over False Security Claims

A recent testimony by Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi before the U.S. Congress has sparked outrage.

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) and the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) have condemned his claims as false, divisive, and dangerous.

In a strongly worded statement signed by Pafiu Baba-Ahmad, Secretary General of SCSN, the council denounced the testimony as an attempt to misrepresent Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

According to the statement, Bishop Anagbe alleged that “2% of Fulani (Islamists) have taken over lands occupied by 98% Christians,” a statement the Islamic council described as blatant misinformation aimed at inciting religious tensions.

He also noted the absurdity of the claim that the government is complicit in the alleged persecution, given that the Governor of Benue State—who is a Catholic priest himself—is part of the same administration being accused.

“This is not just reckless but a calculated attempt to incite divisions. The contradictions in his claims expose the malicious intent behind them,” Baba-Ahmad said.

The council emphasized that Nigeria’s insecurity stems from a combination of insurgency, banditry, ethnic conflicts, and organized crime, affecting both Muslims and Christians alike.

Citing reports from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), the Global Terrorism Index, and Christian organizations like the East-West Christian Association, Baba-Ahmad argued that the security crisis is not a religious war but a broader, more complex issue.

“The world is too informed for these outdated narratives to thrive. The facts are there—Nigeria’s violence is driven by multiple factors, not a single religious agenda,” he asserted.

The Islamic Council urged Christian leaders to reject inflammatory rhetoric and counter misinformation that could destabilize the country.

“Religious leaders must be peacemakers, not conflict merchants. Silence in the face of such dangerous falsehoods amounts to complicity,” Baba-Ahmad warned.

Furthermore, the council called for the prosecution of Bishop Anagbe, likening his actions to those of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been accused of spreading propaganda to fuel conflict. The statement also referenced a past incident in Abuja, where a Christian pastor appeared on the pulpit wielding an AK-47 while making provocative remarks.

While the Nigerian government has dismissed the U.S. Congress report as misleading and politically motivated, the council urged authorities to go beyond verbal condemnations and take decisive action to secure the country and counter divisive narratives.

Similarly, the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has strongly condemned Bishop Anagbe’s testimony, describing it as divisive and misleading. MPAC criticized the bishop’s claim that Christians in Benue State, a predominantly Christian region governed by a Catholic priest, face an existential threat from a supposed Islamist agenda, stating that such assertions defy logic.

The group also challenged the bishop’s allegations of a long-term plot to Islamize Nigeria, calling them Islamophobic and lacking credible evidence. MPAC accused the bishop of attempting to manipulate international opinion to justify foreign intervention against Nigeria, referencing similar past efforts by Christian leaders to push an anti-Muslim narrative on global platforms.

According to MPAC, multiple reports, including those from the U.S. Department of State, indicate that Nigerian Muslims have been the greatest victims of terrorism, including Boko Haram attacks. The organization emphasized that insecurity in Nigeria is a multifaceted crisis driven by economic, political, and ethnic factors, not a targeted religious campaign against Christians.

MPAC urged religious leaders to focus on fostering peace and interfaith dialogue rather than spreading inflammatory rhetoric. The organization also called on the Nigerian government to take decisive action against individuals who spread misinformation capable of threatening national unity.