The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has described the recent testimony of Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Africa Subcommittee, as “unsubstantiated allegations and dangerous claims”. The Executive Chairman, Muslim Public Affairs Centre, DisuKamor, in a statement, called on the international community to be cautious of misinformation and to verify facts before making any decisions that may harm the people of Nigeria. He said the designation of a country as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) should be based on verifiable evidence and credible sources, not on the basis of misinformation and propaganda by individuals who driven by Islamophobic agenda, and who would rather see the Muslims and Christians return to the period of the crusades.

According to MPAC, “One of the most outrageous allegations of the Bishop is that Christians in Benue State, which is governed almost entirely by Christians, has 98% Christian population (according to the Bishop), and is under existential threat from “Islamist extremists”.

“The logic of this allegation is that 2% of the population is terrorizing, and poses an existential threat to the 98% of the population that is totally in control of all the aspects of life in Benue State, including the control of resources and security apparatus. This allegation on its own deserves scrutiny. The idea that 2% of the population can pose an existential threat to the remaining 98% is mathematically improbable.

“It defies logic to assume that such a small minority can exert such significant influence and control to the point of posing an existential threat,” he stated.

Kamor said the bishop’s narrative, unsupported by any empirical evidence, overlooks the complex systemic issues that contribute to violence and insecurity in Benue State, such as poverty, inequality, and political marginalization.

According to him, Anagbe also alleged that Nigerian Muslims are together implementing a stealth agenda to Islamize Nigeria through violence and terrorism, and in some cases, as he implied, with the convenience of the Nigerian government.

MPAC listed other allegations he made to include: “A long-term, Islamic agenda to homogenize the population has been implemented, over several presidencies, through a strategy to reduce and eventually eliminate the Christian identity of half of the population.”

“The quest to Islamize the land appears high on the agenda of some of the powerful and influential Muslims.”

“Nigeria’s Muslim population, through “many presidencies” have utilized “Islamist extremists” as a tool to change “the traditional social dynamics of tribe, ethnicity, religion and social status in Nigeria, as elsewhere in Africa”.

MPAC said the Bishop sadly engaged in all these Islamophobic tropes just to provide propagandist justification for the United States to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) – for the 2nd time, each time during President Trump’s terms in office.

Kamor said the utterances, actions, and manipulations of these leaders of faith make a normal person wonder what exactly are their motives and perceived gains to see Nigeria sanctioned, and its Muslim population demonized?

However, he noted that there is a pattern to this action thus, “In June 2020, another group of Nigerian Christian leaders went to London, armed with a similar propaganda materials and flawed arguments that Bishop Anagbe took to Washington, to urge support for their agenda through the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, an informal cross-party group.

“Similar to the script being played now, the APPG issued a 56-page report titled NIGERIA: UNFOLDING GENOCIDE? to express its findings and recommendations. The Chair of this group, Jim Shannon of the Democratic Unionist Party, unable to steer clear of bias, wrote a fanciful commentary as a forward to the report. In it, he expressed his sorrow that Nigerian Christians alone have become the purposeful victims of a murderous campaign by the Fulani Muslims who are orchestrating the tragic conflicts as a precursor to a genocide.

“He went further to state that the Boko Haram cultists have targeted only the Christians during its entire campaign of terror and concluded that Christianity in Nigeria is facing an existential threat. Curiously, one of the recommendations of APPG to the UK government was that Nigeria should be sanctioned.”

Kamor said contrary to the flawed claims of these Christian leaders and their foreign collaborators who are always ready to help with the argumentative heavy lifting, eager to declare Muslims guilty of all charges, the facts speak for themselves.

He said: “By all accounts, Muslim Nigerians have been the greatest victims of terrorism in Nigeria with many killed, displaced, and traumatized by Boko Haram and other extremist groups.

“There are also numerous newspaper reports of Christian terrorist groups, sometimes dressed in Muslim attires, caught planting explosives in churches or attacking Christian populated areas.

“According to various reports, the majority of those affected by terrorism are Muslims. Other reports suggest that both Christians and Muslims have been affected by violence and terrorism. For instance, according to the US Department of State’s 2022 International Religious Freedom Report, Boko Haram’s violence has affected both Muslims and Christians, resulting in numerous deaths.

“In light of this grim fact, we hold the firm belief that it is crucial for faith leaders to rise above ancient enmity and ethnic prejudice to promote national peace and reconciliation, especially through interfaith cooperation and understanding while we work together to address the root causes of insecurity and terrorism, faith leaders must not be seen to be engaged in driving destructive and divisive agendas that are not motivated by any actual evidence of deliberate and concerted action that threatens their existence, peace and safety, thereby perpetuating harmful stereotypes, deception and misinformation about others”.

He assured that the Muslim Public Affairs Centre remains committed to promoting peace, understanding, and cooperation among all faith communities in Nigeria.
“We urge all stakeholders to join us in this effort and to reject hate speech and Islamophobic rhetoric of those driven by theology of hate, religious supremacism, and ethnic hatred,” he stated.

Specifically, Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe is urged to retract his unsubstantiated claims and to join well-meaning Nigerians of all faiths in building sustainable peace, national reconciliation, interfaith cooperation and understanding.

His testimony, according to MPAC, is a prime example of how misinformation and biases can be used to fuel divisions, perpetuate harmful stereotypes, and aid the cause of the terrorists.

“It is essential to approach such claims with critical eye and demand evidence-based narratives that promote understanding and reconciliation. Together, we can work towards a more peaceful and harmonious Nigeria, where all citizens can thrive regardless of their faith or ethnicity.

“It is essential to recognize that Nigeria’s insecurity and terrorism issues are complex and multifaceted, involving various factors such as poverty, inequality, and ethnic tensions. To attribute these problems solely to a Muslim agenda is not only inaccurate and mischievous but also counterproductive.

“It is now time for the Nigerian government to hold these peculiar faith leaders accountable for their utterances and actions that threaten national peace and unity. While we urge the Government to take concrete steps to address the root causes of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria, we also expect that they will not continue to watch by as these leaders move from country to country to spread blatant lies on religious persecution or to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and misinformation about Nigeria and Nigerian citizens,” MPAC counselled.