Pope Francis has extended prayers and condolences to the families of victims of the 2023 Christmas Eve brutal attack in Plateau State.
It was reported that over 200 persons were killed by armed militias in several villages across Mangu and Bokkos local government areas of the state.
After delivering the Angelus message on Sunday, the Pope spoke about recent violence across the world.
He stated: “Unfortunately, the celebration of Christmas in Nigeria was marked by serious violence in Plateau State, with many victims. I am praying for them and their families. May God free Nigeria from these atrocities.”
Furthermore, the Catholic Pope also remembered others who are suffering around the world, including the victims of a tanker truck explosion in Liberia and those caught in the throes of war in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, and among the Rohingya.
“At the end of a year, let us have the courage to ask ourselves: How many human lives have been broken by armed conflict? How many dead? And how much destruction, suffering, and poverty?” he said.
Pope Francis urged those with interests in these conflicts to heed their conscience and consider the human toll of their actions.
Earlier, Pope Francis addressed the beauty of family life, drawing parallels between the struggles of the earthly family of Jesus Christ and those faced by families today.
He delivered a message of solidarity to families in difficulty, saying, “If you are facing difficulties, I know what you are experiencing. I experienced it. I, my mother, and my father experienced it, so we can say to your family too: You are not alone.”
Pope also encouraged families to find comfort in the knowledge that God is intimately familiar with human suffering and challenges.
Meanwhile, the governor of Plateau State, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has declared a week of mourning from January 1 to January 8, in honour of those who lost their lives in the Christmas Eve attacks across the two affected local governments.
In a statewide broadcast, Mutfwang directed that flags should be flown at half-mast and urged citizens to engage in intense prayers for divine intervention against those perpetrating violence in the state.
He described the attacks as premeditated and coordinated acts of criminality, insurgency, and terrorism, emphasising the need to address them as such and debunked the notion in some quarters that farmers-Herders clashes
Mutfwang also disclosed a fuel subsidy of N10,000 per month for workers from September 2023 to March 2024, pending a federal wage review.
While giving updates on the progress of revamping the railway track from Bukuru to Jos,the governor expressed optimism about its commencement by the end of this month.
Mutfwang, however, thanked President Bola Tinubu for the prompt response and relief efforts over the security challenges that confronting the state.
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