Benue Catholic Diocese Closes Schools, Hospital Over Repeated Attacks

Benue Catholic Diocese Closes Schools, Hospital Over Repeated Attacks

The Catholic Diocese of Gboko in Benue State has ordered the immediate closure of four Church institutions in Ihugh community, Vandeikya Local Government Area, following repeated attacks.

The directive also requires pastoral agents to withdraw from the community, according to an official letter signed by Bishop William A. Avenya and Chancellor Reverend Father Marcellinus Wende.

The affected institutions include St. Winifred Girls Secondary School, St. Winifred Nursery and Primary School, St. Thomas Hospital and St. Winifred Parish, all located in Ihugh.

The diocese said its decision followed repeated attacks, destruction of property and security incidents affecting Church-owned institutions in the community since 2024, despite several efforts to resolve the situation.

According to the letter, student hostels at St. Winifred Secondary School were repeatedly burned on October 28, 2025, May 10 and 15, 2026, and October 11, 2026.

The diocese said the incidents destroyed accommodation provided for students and exposed pupils, teachers and other school personnel to serious safety risks during the repeated attacks.

The letter also highlighted recurring burglary incidents at St. Winifred Parish and criminal activities at St. Thomas Hospital, raising concerns about the safety of Church personnel and beneficiaries.

The diocese further recalled protests during the reopening of St. Thomas Hospital on June 21, 2024, when some residents reportedly opposed the continued presence of Reverend Sisters in Ihugh.

According to the letter, protesters displayed placards and chanted slogans expressing their opposition to the Reverend Sisters working in the community, adding to tensions surrounding the Church’s operations.

The diocese described the incidents as a continuing pattern of hostility, harassment and destruction targeting Church properties, leaving workers, students, patients and other beneficiaries facing uncertainty over their safety.

Explaining its decision, the diocese said it had engaged community members, traditional rulers and elders while presenting its concerns to relevant government and security authorities for intervention.

However, the Church said these efforts had failed to secure the lasting peace and protection required for its institutions to continue operating safely within the community.

“We have done all that depends on us. The attacks have continued, and no assurance of lasting safety has been secured,” the letter stated.

The diocese said the continued incidents and absence of reliable security guarantees made it necessary to withdraw its institutions and pastoral agents from Ihugh community immediately.

Despite the closure, the diocese assured affected pupils that arrangements would be made to help them continue their education in other Catholic schools across the diocese.

It also promised to refer patients receiving treatment at St. Thomas Hospital to alternative health facilities, with particular attention given to those requiring urgent medical care.

The Church added that affected employees would receive fair and compassionate treatment, consistent with its teachings on human dignity and the importance of protecting workers’ rights.

The closure is expected to affect residents who depend on the institutions for education, healthcare and pastoral services, although the diocese has promised alternative arrangements for those affected.

The diocese maintained that protecting its personnel and the people entrusted to its care remained central to its decision to suspend operations at the affected institutions in Ihugh.