Pope Leo XIV has condemned a wave of deadly attacks across Nigeria, including the recent massacre in Kwara State that left more than 150 people dead.
The Pontiff on Sunday in a message on X formerly Twitter, called on the government to do more to safeguard lives and expressed his “sorrow and concern” over the violence, which has struck communities in some States
“I express my prayerful closeness to all the victims of violence and terrorism,” he wrote, adding that he hoped Nigeria’s authorities would work “with determination to ensure the safety and protection of the life of every citizen”.
The Pope’s remarks is coming after armed men killed dozens in raids on villages of Woro and Nuku in Kaiama, in Kwara State on 3-4 February.
While police and the Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq put the death toll at 75, residents and survivors say the death exceeds 200, with bodies still being recovered from surrounding scrubland.
President Bola Tinubu has since responded by declaring a national security emergency, and deploying extra troops as well as launching a military operation in the area.
Vice-president Kashim Shettima visited Ilorin, the State capital, on Saturday to commiserate with victims’ families.
The Kwara killings drew global outrage. The UN, US and Turkey condemned the “heinous” attacks, with Turkey offering military aid to help Nigeria tackle its security crisis.
Amnesty International accused the government of “serious security lapses”, saying locals had warned of impending violence weeks earlier.
NewsQuest reports that elsewhere, gunmen killed 21-35 people in house-to-house raids in Doma village, Katsina State, shattering a fragile local truce with bandits.
In Benue, suspected herder militia killed 16, including a police officer, in Abande on 3 February. And in Niger state, attackers torched a police station in Agwara and Mashegu, abducting residents.
The assaults have intensified fears over the nation’s spiralling insecurity, with demands growing for better protection of rural communities.
