Pope Leo mourns 200 brutally murdered in Benue. Amnesty calls for justice. Find out what really happened in Yelwata and why the world is reacting.
The Vatican has joined a rising wave of global outrage following the brutal massacre of over 200 innocent civilians in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria, describing the incident as a “terrible massacre” and calling for urgent justice and peace.
During his Sunday Angelus message delivered at St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo expressed deep sorrow and solidarity with the victims, many of whom were internally displaced persons (IDPs) taking refuge at a Catholic mission in the community. The tragic attack occurred overnight between June 13 and 14, 2025, and was reportedly carried out by heavily armed assailants.
In his remarks, Pope Leo said:
“I pray for the victims of the terrible massacre that occurred in Benue State, Nigeria, where about 200 people were brutally killed—most of them displaced persons sheltered by the local Catholic mission. I am particularly close to the rural Christian communities in Benue, who have been relentless victims of violence. I pray for security, justice, and peace in Nigeria.”
His words have sparked fresh conversations about the continuing ethnic and religious violence in the Middle Belt, particularly in Benue, where Christian farming communities have been under siege for years.
The Yelwata massacre has now drawn the attention of Amnesty International Nigeria, which on Saturday condemned the killings and called on the Nigerian government to “end the almost daily bloodshed” in Benue. Amnesty demanded swift action to identify and prosecute the perpetrators, stressing that the continued lack of accountability was emboldening armed groups and costing innocent lives.
The victims, including women and children, were allegedly asleep in makeshift shelters at the Catholic mission compound when the attackers struck, opening fire indiscriminately and setting parts of the facility ablaze. Survivors described the horror as “hell on earth,” while local leaders said security forces arrived several hours after the attackers had fled.
This latest bloodshed adds to the long list of unresolved killings in Benue, which has become a flashpoint for deadly clashes between farming communities and armed militia groups, often labelled as herdsmen.
Meanwhile, civil society groups and rights activists across the globe are now urging international intervention, describing the Benue crisis as a humanitarian catastrophe that has been grossly ignored.
As pressure mounts, the Nigerian government is yet to issue a full statement addressing the Pope’s concern or detailing steps being taken to bring the killers to justice.
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