Pope Leo prays for victims of Benue massacre

The Roman Catholic Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, has offered solemn prayers for victims of the horrific massacre that took place in rural Christian communities of Nigeria’s Benue State.

The attack, reportedly carried out by suspected armed herdsmen, claimed the lives of about 200 people, most of them internally displaced persons seeking refuge at a local Catholic mission.

This was made known through the official X handle of Vatican News, with the post captioned: “Pope Leo prays for the victims of a ‘terrible massacre’ in Benue State, Nigeria.”

In his address before the Sunday Angelus prayer, the Pope expressed his sorrow and extended his thoughts to the devastated families and Christian communities of Benue State. “I pray for security, justice, and peace in Nigeria,” the Pope declared, noting that he was particularly mindful of the “rural Christian communities of the Benue State who have been relentless victims of violence.”

The Pontiff’s prayer comes as Amnesty International Nigeria also issued a statement on Saturday, demanding that Nigerian authorities urgently put an end to the near-daily bloodshed in Benue State and ensure those responsible for the heinous crime are brought to justice.

The incident, which occurred on the night of June 13 to 14 in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, has drawn widespread outrage, with international human rights groups and faith-based organisations calling for immediate intervention.