Armed Fulani herdsmen have attacked St. Paul’s Parish, Aye-Twar (Agu Centre) in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, leaving widespread destruction in their wake.
According to local residents, the assailants destroyed the church building, burned the rectory to ashes, vandalized the parish secretariat, and demolished pastoral vehicles, household items, and other valuables.
In a statement, Rev. Fr. Samuel Fila, Chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Association (NCDPA), described the assault as a “genocidal attack” on both the Church and the Aye-Twar community.
The attack follows repeated assaults on the community, which had already forced the parish priest to relocate, leaving only minimal pastoral activities. With all 26 parish outstations now occupied by the armed group, the entire Agu Centre has been deserted by residents fearing more violence.
“This is not about farmer-herder clashes,” the NCDPA stressed. “It is a deliberate, well-coordinated plan aimed at ethnic cleansing, territorial domination, and the occupation of our lands.”
