The Benue state chapter, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has demanded an end to herdsmen incursion into the state.
According to the state chairman, Rev. Akpen Leva, at least 500 churches across the state have been destroyed as a result of the crisis.
Leva, who spoke on Tuesday in the state capital Makurdi, said that aside churches, missionary schools located within the affected churches, pastoral centres and homes, clinics and rehabilitation homes were also lost to the crisis.
He said that the crisis dated as far back as 2011, and has had negative effects on worshippers.
Leva said Catholic, Pentecostal, NKST, Anglican and several other churches have been affected, and appealed to the Federal Government for a form of compensation to facilitate rebuilding of destroyed facilities.
He added, “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.
“There is certainly no way a state government can cope with the kind of number of IDPs the government is catering for at the moment.”
He further appealed that military and other security agencies be deployed to prevent herdsmen from further incursion into the state.