Pope Leo on Sunday condemned the brutal massacre in Nigeria’s Benue State that claimed over 200 lives, as angry demonstrators shut down a major highway to demand government action following the devastating attack on the Yelewata community.
Speaking during his weekly Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff expressed profound grief over what he called a “terrible massacre” and offered prayers for the victims while calling for urgent measures to restore peace and security across Nigeria.
The attack occurred late Friday night when suspected armed herdsmen stormed the Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area around 10:00 pm, opening fire on sleeping residents and setting homes ablaze. Many of the victims were internally displaced persons who had sought sanctuary at a local Catholic mission before the attackers struck.
“I am praying for security, justice, and peace in Nigeria,” Pope Leo declared during his address. “In a special way, I am thinking of the rural Christian communities of Benue State, who have been relentless victims of violence.”
The death toll from the nighttime assault has been estimated at over 200 people, with scores more injured and many others still missing. The scale of the violence has shocked both local communities and international observers, marking one of the deadliest single attacks in the region’s ongoing cycle of violence.
In response to the massacre, furious youths took to the streets on Sunday morning, staging a massive demonstration that completely blocked the strategically important Abuja-Makurdi highway. The protesters, dressed in black mourning attire and carrying palm fronds alongside placards demanding justice, brought traffic to a complete standstill as they called for immediate government intervention.
The highway closure represents a significant escalation in public anger over the persistent violence that has plagued rural communities in Benue State, where farming communities frequently clash with herders over land and water resources. The demonstration effectively cut off a vital transportation link between the capital Abuja and Benue State’s capital Makurdi.
The Yelewata attack represents the latest in a series of violent incidents that have devastated Christian farming communities throughout central Nigeria, where competition over scarce resources has fueled deadly confrontations between different ethnic and religious groups.
Pope Leo’s condemnation adds an influential international voice to growing calls for Nigerian authorities to take decisive action to protect vulnerable communities and end the cycle of violence that has claimed thousands of lives in recent years across the Middle Belt region.
