The Catholic Diocese of Gboko has ordered the indefinite closure of schools, a hospital and a parish in Ihugh, Benue State, following repeated attacks on church-owned facilities, including the burning of student hostels, raising fresh concerns about the safety of educational and healthcare services in the area.

The decision, announced in a pastoral letter and decree dated October 12, also directs the withdrawal of priests, religious sisters and other diocesan personnel from the community until peace is restored and credible security guarantees are provided.

The affected institutions are St Winifred Secondary School, St Winifred Nursery and Primary School, St Thomas Hospital, Salus Mudi Care Centre and St Winifred Parish, according to the diocese.

The diocese said repeated attacks and destruction of property had made it increasingly difficult to guarantee the safety of students, teachers, healthcare workers, patients and religious personnel.

Among the incidents cited were fires that destroyed student hostels at St Winifred Secondary School on October 28, 2025, May 10, 2026, May 15, 2026 and October 11, 2026.

The attacks destroyed accommodation facilities and exposed students and school workers to potential danger, the diocese said.

Bishop of Gboko William Avenya and the diocesan chancellor, Marcellinus Wende, signed the decree, which described the incidents as part of a recurring pattern of hostility towards church institutions in Ihugh.

The diocese also reported repeated burglaries at St Winifred Parish and criminal incidents at St Thomas Hospital. It cited protests during the hospital’s reopening in June 2024, when demonstrators reportedly demanded that the Reverend Sisters leave the community.

Peace efforts fail to resolve security concerns

The church authorities said they had engaged traditional rulers, community elders, government officials and security agencies in efforts to resolve the dispute, but the engagements had failed to produce lasting peace or sufficient assurances of safety.

The diocese said it could no longer justify exposing its personnel and the people relying on its services to danger while continuing to invest in facilities that remained vulnerable to attacks.

It stressed that the withdrawal was a protective measure rather than an act of hostility towards the community.

Under the directive, diocesan personnel are prohibited from returning to their former duties or conducting ministry on behalf of the church in Ihugh without written authorisation from the bishop.

Students in the affected primary and secondary schools are to receive assistance, where possible, to continue their education at other Catholic institutions. Patients receiving treatment at St Thomas Hospital will be referred to alternative health facilities, with arrangements for those requiring urgent medical attention.

Affected teaching, medical, administrative and other staff are also to be redeployed or otherwise provided for through the appropriate diocesan offices.

Diocese leaves door open for return

Despite the closures, the diocese said it remained open to reconciliation and a possible return, provided there was a genuine commitment to peace, restitution and credible assurances that its personnel and properties would be protected.

It called on community leaders, traditional rulers, youth groups, public officials and security agencies to help restore calm and ensure that those responsible for the attacks were brought to justice.

The closures leave residents of Ihugh facing the loss of church-run educational, healthcare and pastoral services, with the duration of the disruption dependent on whether the diocese considers conditions safe enough for its personnel to return.