Pope Leo Condemns Benue Massacre, Calls for Peace in Nigeria

Pope Leo

Pope Leo has offered prayers for the victims of what he described as a “terrible massacre” in Benue State, Nigeria.

Speaking before the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the Pope stated that approximately 200 people were “brutally killed” in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, during the night of June 13 and 14.

He noted that most of the victims were internally displaced persons who had been “sheltered by the local Catholic mission.”

The Pope prayed for “security, justice, and peace” in Nigeria, expressing particular concern for the “rural Christian communities of Benue State who have been relentless victims of violence.”

His remarks come amid growing international attention on the crisis in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where repeated attacks on farming communities have resulted in widespread displacement and loss of life.

In a separate statement issued on Saturday, Amnesty International Nigeria called on the Nigerian government to “immediately end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue State and bring the actual perpetrators to justice.”

The human rights organization stated that the killings reflect a deepening failure of the state to protect vulnerable communities, particularly those already displaced by previous violence.