Pope Leo has offered prayers and expressed deep sorrow over the “terrible massacre” that occurred in Benue State, Nigeria, where around 200 people were brutally killed in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, between the night of June 13 and 14.
Addressing the faithful just before the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the Pope described the victims as “mostly internally displaced persons sheltered by the local Catholic mission.” He prayed for “security, justice, and peace” in Nigeria, particularly for the “rural Christian communities of the Benue State who have been relentless victims of violence.”
The pontiff’s message came as international attention continues to mount over recurring deadly attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, widely attributed to armed herdsmen.
In a swift response, Amnesty International Nigeria condemned the killings and urged the Nigerian government to act decisively. “Authorities must immediately end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue State and bring the actual perpetrators to justice,” the rights group stated in a release on Saturday.
The massacre at Yelwata is one of the deadliest in recent times, deepening concerns over security failures and the safety of displaced populations in conflict-ridden communities across Benue and beyond.
