Abuja: As Nigeria grapples with rising violence and deepening religious persecution, Bishop Mark Mygida, the first shepherd of the Diocese of Wukari, has made a passionate appeal for both spiritual and material support for Christians under siege in the country’s volatile Middle Belt.
Since his appointment by Pope Francis in 2022, Bishop Mygida has witnessed the destruction of over 325 Catholic places of worship in Taraba State alone many at the hands of Islamic extremists. The situation, he says, has left his faithful scattered, displaced, and living in dire conditions but not without hope.
“Christians in this region are truly suffering,” said Bishop Mygida, speaking from Wukari, where churches have become rubble and communities have been driven into temporary shelters. “What we need first is prayers. These people need spiritual strength to hold on.”
The violence has forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes, with many now taking refuge in makeshift camps, including schools and abandoned buildings. Yet even amidst this chaos, Bishop Mygida continues to celebrate Holy Mass with them, bearing witness to what he calls an unbroken spirit of faith.
“Even in displacement camps, we see people holding tight to the joy of their faith,” he said. “They know they are suffering, but they also know that God is walking with them. They believe this suffering will not last forever.”
The Middle Belt, often described as Nigeria’s “breadbasket,” has now become a battlefield. Entire Christian villages have been emptied, their homes and farmlands taken over, the bishop said. He added that human rights organizations and church leaders have repeatedly raised alarm over the escalating crisis, but concrete action from the Nigerian government remains absent.
“This is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian,” the bishop noted, “yet the government continues to look the other way.”
Despite global awareness campaigns and international condemnation, terrorist groups continue to strike churches, burn villages, and target Christian leaders with impunity. The bishop’s diocese, created to serve a vulnerable Christian minority, has instead become a frontline of resistance and resilience.
Bishop Mygida is not only asking for food, shelter, and security but is urging the global Christian community to become partners in prayer and action. He stressed that the people of Nigeria are not giving up but they cannot endure alone.
“We ask our brothers and sisters across the world: stand with us in prayer, in solidarity, and in action,” he said. “We are living witnesses of faith under fire and with your support, we will not be silenced.”
As Nigeria continues to face a growing humanitarian and spiritual crisis, Bishop Mygida’s voice emerges as a solemn reminder: in a land where churches burn and believers are scattered, the fire of faith still burns.