Pope Leo XIV held a special prayer on Sunday for Nigeria, particularly, the victims of the “terrible massacre” in Benue State.
Over 100 people were “brutally killed” in Yelwata, in the Guma Local Government Area on the night of the 13th/14th June – most of them internally displaced persons “sheltered by the local Catholic mission”.
Speaking just before delivering the Sunday Angelus prayer, the Pope prayed for “security, justice, and peace” in Nigeria, adding that he was thinking in particular of the “rural Christian communities of the Benue State who have been relentless victims of violence.
“I pray that security, justice and peace will prevail in Nigeria, a beloved country so affected by various forms of violence. And I pray especially for the rural Christian communities in Benue State”
Watch the video:
Responding to the attack, Amnesty International Nigeria on Saturday called on Nigerian authorities to “immediately end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue State and bring the actual perpetrators to justice”.
Meanwhile, youths in Benue have taken to the streets of Makurdi, the state capital to protest the incessant killings in the state.
The number of the protesters grew even more when activist, Very Dark Man (VDM) joined the protest and many turned up to demand #EndBenueKillings.
