Bishop Dugu: schools closed, teachers fearful, children displaced amid Sankera violence. Church rebuilds classrooms, funds scholarships.
Newsroom (06/11/2025, Gaudium Press ) Bishop Isaac Bunepuun Dugu of the Catholic Diocese of Katsina-Ala has warned that persistent insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, and social upheaval are eroding educational progress across his jurisdiction in Benue State.
Speaking to ACI Africa on November 5 during events marking his 25th priestly ordination anniversary, Bishop Dugu described a landscape where schools have shuttered, relocated, or limped along under the shadow of violence in the Sankera axis.
“Insecurity has greatly affected education in our Diocese,” he said. “Many schools have been displaced or forced to close because of constant attacks and fear of violence. Teachers are afraid to go to work, and children have lost interest in school because their learning environment is no longer safe.”
The prelate detailed the Church’s counter-efforts: rebuilding classrooms, training educators, and establishing alternative learning centers and scholarships for displaced students. “Even when banditry and violence threatened our schools, we kept faith,” he said.
Widespread displacement has deepened poverty, pushing families into camps and pulling children from classrooms, Bishop Dugu noted. He linked literacy to both human rights and community reconstruction in conflict-scarred areas.
Beyond classrooms, the bishop outlined diocesan peace initiatives engaging traditional rulers, government bodies, and armed youth groups. “Without peace, no meaningful learning can take place,” he stressed, urging federal and state authorities to secure rural areas and upgrade roads.
He singled out the hazardous Gboko–Ugbema corridor, insisting that awarded contracts must translate into visible progress. “We need to see the contractor on site and the work completed,” he said.
Bishop Dugu praised Benue State Governor Rev. Hyacinth Iormem Alia for civil-service reforms and infrastructure gains, while calling on Abuja to bolster those initiatives.
The diocese anchors its vision on four pillars—evangelization and catechesis, family support, integral education, and peace-building. Seminarians are studying at institutions nationwide to broaden their pastoral reach, the bishop added.
“By God’s grace, our Diocese will be great,” he concluded. “We are adding value to the lives of everyone—the wealthy, the middle class, the underprivileged, and the displaced.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Africa
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