Our reporter/ Pope Leo XIV on Sunday condemned the recent killings in Benue State, describing the incident as a “terrible massacre” in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with “extreme cruelty”.
Around 200 people were “brutally killed” in Yelwata, in the Guma Local Government Area on the night of the 13th/14th June, the Pope said, 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”.
Also 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”.
The attack occurred in Yelwata, a border town between Benue and Nasarawa states, where suspected herdsmen reportedly stormed the community late Friday night.
The Chairman of Guma Local Government Area, Maurice Orwough, confirmed the incident, stating that dozens had been killed and over 26 others hospitalised.
According to Orwough, the assailants struck around 11:30 p.m., overpowering a small detachment of four soldiers posted in the area.
“They initially attempted to attack Daudu, but were repelled by the military. Sadly, they later regrouped and moved towards Yelwata, where over 100 armed herdsmen opened fire on civilians,” he said.
Leave a Reply