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“It Is a Traumatic Experience”: Priest Discusses Closure of Catholic Institutions in Nigeria

Father Kuha Indyer explains to Press Crux the reasons behind the suspension of activities in Ihugh and the conditions set by the Diocese of Gboko for resuming operations.

Ana Paula Morales (Poli)

10/23/20266 min read

GBOKO, Nigeria — The Diocese of Gboko, Nigeria, has closed its schools, hospital and parish in the town of Ihugh following a series of fires, thefts and acts of harassment. For Father Kuha Indyer, a Spiritan missionary serving in the diocese, the decision has immediate consequences for families who depend on these institutions.

“It is a traumatic experience for those who depend on these institutions for their livelihood,” he said in an interview with Press Crux.

The priest explained that the closures affect not only students and patients receiving education and medical care, but also employees and small business owners whose incomes depend on these services.

The measure took effect on October 12, 2026, through a pastoral letter and decree issued by Bishop William A. Avenya and countersigned by the diocesan chancellor, Father Marcellinus Wende.

According to the Vatican's Fides news agency, the suspension includes St. Winifred's Girls' Secondary School, St. Winifred's Nursery and Primary School, St. Thomas Hospital — including the Salus Mind Care Centre and the chaplaincy — and St. Winifred's Parish. Operations may resume only after peace has been restored and credible security guarantees have been established.

Benue State, in north-central Nigeria, has experienced years of violence linked to land disputes and ethnic and religious divisions. According to Reuters, in a report published June 17, 2025, Nigeria's emergency management agency was working with humanitarian organizations to assist at least 3,000 people displaced by violence in Yelwata.

On February 2, 2026, Reuters reported that Nigerian prosecutors had filed terrorism-related charges against nine men accused of participating in the June 2025 massacre, which left approximately 150 people dead. This incident illustrates the broader insecurity affecting Benue State but does not establish a connection to the attacks against Catholic institutions in Ihugh.

Fires and Hostility Toward Religious Sisters

According to Fides, the dormitories at St. Winifred's Girls' Secondary School were affected by four fires: October 28, 2025; May 10 and May 15, 2026; and October 11, 2026.

Father Indyer said that, according to the pastoral letter, these incidents were part of a series of attacks that also included thefts at the parish and criminal incidents at the hospital.

Among the earlier incidents, he mentioned disturbances during the reopening of St. Thomas Hospital on June 21, 2024. On that occasion, according to the document cited by the priest, members of the community displayed placards and chanted that they no longer wanted the religious sisters working in Ihugh.

Father Indyer serves as communications director for the Northeast Nigeria Province of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit and coordinator of communications directors for religious congregations in Nigeria. He is also vice president of the association of men and women religious in the Diocese of Gboko and director of the Peter Gierlich Youth Leadership Academy.

Possible Causes of the Conflict

Explaining the tensions, the missionary pointed to claims involving land donated to the Church by local families.

According to his account, population growth and the return of people who had previously fled their communities because of insecurity have increased demand for land on which to settle.

Some descendants of those who donated land believe Church institutions should provide them with compensation or financial support, he explained. In his view, poverty has heightened these expectations and increased tensions with Church authorities.

The priest acknowledged, however, that it has not been publicly established whether adequate compensation was provided for the land. The possible causes he described do not identify those responsible for the attacks, nor do they substantiate the claims being made.

The Church Leaves Open the Possibility of Returning

The pastoral letter reproduced by Father Indyer calls on government authorities and law enforcement agencies to protect lives and property and bring those responsible to justice.

It also addresses the local community: “We make no accusations against the innocent, nor do we harbor hatred in our hearts.”

Before considering a return, the diocese is calling for repentance, restitution, a firm commitment to peace and lasting security guarantees for its personnel and facilities.

Father Indyer explained that a concrete plan is needed to protect people and property. Responding to Press Crux, he said community leaders were seeking to meet in an effort to find a solution to the conflict.

Meanwhile, he said, students from the girls' secondary school have been transferred to other Catholic boarding schools within the diocese. Finding alternatives is more difficult for families with children in nursery and primary school because those institutions do not provide boarding facilities.

The missionary expressed concern for employees and small business owners who have lost their sources of income, patients who must now travel farther to receive medical care, and Catholics who have been deprived of their parish's regular sacramental life.

To the faithful, the bishop offers this reminder in the document cited by Father Indyer: “Your baptism is not lost with a building, nor is your faith diminished because a door has closed.”

The pastoral letter leaves the door open to reconciliation: “This decision is painful, but it is not a final farewell. The Church leaves with sorrow, not contempt.”

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Padre Kauh consuela a un niño después de Misa del Espíritu Santo en el colegio Sankera. Cortesía del P. Kuah