UKPOR MBALOM, Benue State — In a haunting scene of desperation that has left the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in mourning, a heavy-duty truck was dispatched on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to evacuate the parish priest of St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ukpor Mbalom.
The evacuation follows a total collapse of security in the area, as the entire indigenous population has fled their homes following a series of relentless attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
A Ghost Town in Benue
A viral video capturing the evacuation has sent shockwaves through social media, featuring a commentator whose voice cracked with a mix of raw anger and visible frustration. The footage shows the once-vibrant church premises standing eerily silent, with the truck being loaded with the priest’s few belongings as the community behind him lay in ruins.
“Nigeria is in a deep mess,” the commentator lamented, pointing to the empty houses and the deserted sanctuary. “The Bishop had to send this truck to rescue the father because there is no one left to minister to. The sheep have been scattered, and now the shepherd must go.”
The “Killing Fields” of Mbalom
For the people of Mbalom, this is a recurring nightmare. The community has never truly recovered from the infamous April 2018 massacre, where two priests—Rev. Fr. Joseph Gor and Rev. Fr. Felix Tyolaha—along with 17 parishioners, were slaughtered during an early morning Mass.
Since the beginning of 2026, the region has faced a fresh wave of “territorial annexations”:
- Total Displacement: All 26 outstations of the St. Ignatius Parish are now reportedly deserted or occupied by armed groups.
- The “Agu Centre” Crisis:Â The central village of Agu has been completely emptied, with residents losing access to their ancestral farmlands and livestock during the peak of the harvest season.
- Security Failures:Â Despite the presence of Operation Whirl Stroke in parts of the state, local leaders say the response in Mbalom has been “too little, too late” to stop the systematic displacement.
The Church Under Siege
The Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Association (NCDPA) has expressed deep concern over the “targeted nature” of these attacks. The decision by the Bishop to evacuate the priest is seen as a last-resort measure to prevent another high-profile martyrdom.
“It is a tragedy of monumental proportions when a house of God becomes a ghost house,” a senior cleric in Makurdi remarked. “This isn’t just about Benue; it’s about a nation that has failed to protect its most vulnerable citizens.”
A State in Mourning
While Governor Hyacinth Alia has repeatedly called for peace and recently celebrated the rescue of nine abducted worshippers in a nearby local government, the reality on the ground in Mbalom remains grim. Thousands of displaced Benue farmers are now crowding into already overstretched IDP camps, surviving on the brink of starvation.
As the truck carrying the parish priest pulled away from the church gates on Tuesday, it marked more than just a relocation—it signaled the loss of an entire community’s heartbeat.
