At the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV expressed deep sorrow over a renewed wave of violence in Nigeria that has claimed dozens of lives and led to further abductions, including members of the Catholic clergy. He urged continued prayer for the nation and called on authorities to act decisively to protect every human life.

The Holy Father spoke after learning of attacks on multiple communities that resulted in significant loss of life. On the evening of February 3, at least 160 people were killed in the village of Woro in Nigeria’s central west region, marking one of the deadliest incidents in recent months.

In the days that followed, violence continued in Kaduna State, where armed groups attacked four villages, killing six people and abducting at least 51 others. Security sources reported that the assaults occurred in the southern part of the state, an area with a large Christian population. These attacks followed earlier incidents in January, when more than 180 people were abducted before being released in recent days.

Particular concern was raised over an attack on the Catholic community of Karku in the Kajuru local government area. Armed men abducted eleven people, including Father Nathaniel Asuwaye, the parish priest of Holy Trinity Church. Three others were killed during the early morning assault at the priest’s residence. The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan confirmed the incident and described it as a coordinated terrorist invasion.

In response to the escalating violence, which has included attacks by jihadist groups and raids by armed criminal gangs, Nigeria’s federal government deployed an army battalion to the Kaiama district on the orders of President Bola Tinubu.

During the Angelus, Pope Leo also prayed for victims of human trafficking and remembered those suffering from recent floods and landslides in parts of Spain, Morocco, Portugal, and Sicily.