Pope Francis has urged Nigeria to guarantee the safety of all citizens in the country in the wake of deadly attacks in the north.

The Pope prayed for those who had been killed and injured as a result of the insecurity, citing the attacks in Kaduna state over the weekend in which dozens of people died.

“I learned with sorrow of the news of the armed attacks last Sunday against the villages of Madamai and Abun, in northern Nigeria,” he said in his weekly general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday.

“I hope that the safety of every citizen might be guaranteed in the country,” he added.

Nigeria's northern regions have been plagued by insecurity for years, including armed bandit attacks and kidnappings for ransom.