Plateau Killings: May God Free Nigeria From Horrors, Says Pope

The brutal slaughter of more than 200 souls in rural villages in Plateau State by savage raiders has drawn the eyes and ears of the world, with Pope Francis among the latest to speak out.

“Let us join our hearts in prayer for the victims of the horrific violence in Nigeria’s Plateau State. May God deliver Nigeria from these terrors!” the pope from Argentina tweeted on Sunday on X (formerly Twitter).

The elderly leader also offered his prayers for “people who endure the horrors of war: the martyred people of Ukraine, the people of Palestine and Israel, the people of Sudan, the persecuted Rohingya, and many others. May those who have a role in these conflicts heed the voice of their conscience.”.

On the eve of Christmas, heartless attackers unleashed a terrifying wave of violence on communities in the Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State.

The attacks have taken the lives of over 200 people and left hundreds of homes and farms in ashes. The failure of the security forces to stop the attackers angered many Nigerians.

As expected, the government and the military have denounced the attack and made some pledges after high-profile visits to the state, but strong voices in Northern Nigeria, like the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah, have rebuked the government and the military for their inability to protect the people on the Plateau who face repeated assaults from raiders.