CAN: Herdsmen have destroyed 500 churches in Benue

Akpen Leva, chairman of the Benue chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), says herdsmen have destroyed over 500 churches in the state.

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, Leva described the destruction as “worrisome” and asked the federal government to compensate the affected churches.

The chairman said majority of those affected by the attacks are Christians and this has made the church cater for close to 170,000 people.

“The destruction cuts across Catholic, Pentecostal, NKST, Anglican and several other churches located in areas affected by the crisis,” he said.

“The level of destruction is actually worrisome and that is the more reason why there is every need for the federal government to consider availing these churches some form of compensation, so that we can rebuild the effected structures and also effect repairs on others.

“Majority of those affected in the crisis are Christians, which means that the church also carries the burden of contributing its widow’s mite to the upkeep of the close to 170,000 persons displaced in the state as a result of the crisis.

“The situation in Benue state at the moment is pathetic; the state government has been overwhelmed because of the magnitude of the devastation and the number of the displaced.”