Catholic priests in Benue State have condemned the violent takeover and destruction of St. Paul’s Parish, Aye-Twar, Agu Centre, in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, along with the occupation of 26 additional outstations by suspected armed herdsmen.
They argued that the attack was not just an assault on the Church or the Katsina-Ala Diocese, “but a direct assault on government at all levels, the security operatives, the traditional institutions and indeed all stakeholders.”
Chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Association for Katsina-Ala Diocese, Rev. Fr. Samuel Fila, said the unprovoked violence began on Sunday, August 10, 2025, causing extensive damage to facilities in the Central Church at Agu Centre.
He explained, “Preceding this assault were other previous sustained attacks on Aye-Twar community which increased in intensity, thus forcing the Parish Priest to relocate to another parish, while continuing with skeletal pastoral activities.
“The barbaric attack of August 11, 2025 has finally shut down all pastoral activities since all 26 outstations have been occupied by the armed herdsmem long before now. 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 house hold items, pastoral logistics and vehicles in addition to many other valuable items.
“At the moment, the entire Agu Centre community has been deserted by the locals for fear of more attacks. It must be reiterated that Aye-Twar is only one out of innumerable communities that are currently under a sustained invasion by dangerously armed terrorists.
“NCDPA of Katsina-Ala Diocese, vehemently denounces the alarming and brutal assaults carried out by the heavily armed herdsmen militia groups especially on August 11 without any intervention by either the government or security agencies.”
Fr. Fila further highlighted that the ongoing violence has gone far beyond historical conflicts between farmers and herders, warning, “it has evolved into a premeditated, well calculated and coordinated effort aimed at genocidal cleansing and territorial domination and the occupation of lands that rightly belongs to us.”