The Catholic Register’s exclusive April 8 report about the threats two Nigerian clerics are facing for speaking abroad about Christian persecution in Benue State has sparked condemnations against religious intimidation from the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria, an international religious freedom alliance and by U.S. and U.K. politicians.

On April 12, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement, disputing remarks that Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who has shepherded the Diocese of Makurdi since 2014, and Fr. Remigius Ihyula made during their travels.

On March 12, Anagbe testified in front of the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee about how “the quest to Islamize the land appears high on the agenda of some of the powerful and influential Muslims in Nigeria,” and that “militant Fulani herdsmen” are killing or forcibly displacing Christian farmers of their land. He also shared this message throughout his travels in the United Kingdom from March 19 to April 10.

During their April 7 interview with the Register, Anagbe focused his criticisms on the government’s apparent unwillingness to stop the destruction of houses of worship, the kidnapping of priests and the massacres carried out against the Christian faithful. Last Christmas, 47 Christians of all ages were murdered while attending a service in Anwase in the Diocese of Gboko in Benue State. 

Ihyula confirmed he received a warning from an embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, that there “might be” an arrest warrant for Anagbe upon his return to his homeland. He stressed “this threat is real and is imminent.”

Notably, hours before Anagbe’s March 12 congressional appearance, he was contacted at 3 a.m. by a fellow bishop who relayed a message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warning that Anagbe had “better watch his words.”

The reach of the article was amplified early on April 10 when the Nigerian diplomatic mission’s X account (@USInNigeria) reposted the Register’s X (@TheCatholicRegistr) post about the story.

The embassy stated that it “is disturbed by this report of intimidation and threats against Nigerian religious leaders Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and Rev. Fr. Remigius,” and emphasized that “freedom of expression is an essential human right and central to the function of democracy, in Nigeria and the United States.” The mission called “on all actors to respect Bishop Anagbe’s and Fr. Remigius’ right to speak freely without fear of retribution or retaliation.”

The Register had reached out to the U.S. Department of State for comment about the plight of Anagbe and the push to redesignate Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern (CPC),” a label given to countries with a propensity to engage and tolerate “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.” On April 11, a spokesperson for the State Department, responding via email, stated that it decided that boosting the Register’s article was deemed an effective way to transmit its message in the immediate term.

“We call on all actors to respect Bishop Anagbe’s and Fr. Remigius’ right to freedom of expression and have amplified your April 8 article on their current situation on X, adding that there should be no retribution against the clergymen for their statements,” stated the spokesperson. “We support the right of all Nigerians to speak freely about their experiences and urge the Government of Nigeria to protect this right.”

The @USInNigeria post has garnered 166,000 views, 1,700 reposts, 2,200 likes and nearly 350 comments as of April 14.

Within hours of @USInNigeria weighing in, U.S. Republican Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, who helmed the March 12 hearing and is leading the legislative push to reinstitute the CPC label on Nigeria, released a statement of his own.

“I am appalled by reports that Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and Fr. Remigius Ihyula are facing threats — allegedly from Nigerian government sources and affiliated organizations — because of the Bishop’s testimony before Congress detailing violence in Nigeria’s Benue State,” said Smith. “Credible sources now indicate that Bishop Anagbe may face detention upon returning to Nigeria, and I also fear there are some who would seek to do him physical harm.

Smith also observed that this situation “mirrors the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) well-documented tactics of transnational repression — trampling civil liberties and attempting to silence dissidents far beyond its borders.”

Baron David Alton, a Liverpool member of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords, joined Smith in condemning the threats against Anagbe. He declared that “UK Parliamentarians who invited him to speak will treat such intimidation with the utmost gravity.” He also implored “that all those responsible do what is necessary to stop any such harassment of Bishop Anagbe and to put in place appropriate security to ensure his safety (and) that of his team.”

Robert Řehák, a Czech Republic ambassador at large for the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA), in an April 11 statement said he “is appalled to discover from our members that threats are being made against Bishop Wilfred Anagbe by various entities.”

Řehák said “Nigeria has been known for decades as an example of multifaith cohabitation. Therefore, I call on the Nigerian government to help to stop the attacks on Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, and to implement strong security measures around him and his team.”

Finally, on April 12, Nigerian foreign affairs spokesperson Kimibei Imomotemi Ebienfa responded directly to the @USInNigeria’s repost of @TheCatholicRegistr. Ebienfa stated that the ministry “observes with concern a recent social media publication by the United States Embassy, Abuja, regarding the security situation in Nigeria” and the “alleged threats that have arisen” from Anagbe and Ihyula’s statements.”

The government operative argued that even though “their testimonies misrepresent facts and oversimplify a deeply complex national challenge,” they are “entitled to their opinions, freedom of expression and association enshrined by the Nigerian constitution.” He also pushed back at Anagbe’s conviction that the government is not acting by asserting that the government is quelling communal violence with security forces, engaging in peace-building efforts between farmers and herders and trying to institute land use reforms and economic development initiatives.

Ebienfa stated that “any report of threats or intimidation against religious leaders will be investigated, and appropriate action will be taken.” In his conclusion, the spokesperson wrote that “Nigeria acknowledges the concerns raised but firmly rejects the portrayal of the situation as an ‘Islamist extermination’ of Christians by foreign governments.”

Anagbe told The Catholic Register that a close look at empirical evidence would document a pattern of Christian persecution.

“If they are not targeted as Christians, let us look at the statistics of what has happened,” said Anagbe. “How many mosques have been destroyed vis-a-vis the Catholic churches or Christian churches that have been burned down? How many imams have been kidnapped?”

Anagbe and Ihyula did return home on April 13, where the bishop expressed his commitment to celebrate Holy Week with his flock in Makurdi.