Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Sunday attacked St. Francis Catholic Church in Owaluwa area of Owo, headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo state, killing over 50 members of the congregation, during the church service, while several others were left injured.

The armed men who invaded the church in Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s country home in Volkswagen Golf 4, struck around 11:15 am at the peak of the service, shooting sporadically into the church while some of them stationed themselves at the entrance of the church to prevent the people from escaping from the church.

An eyewitness explained that the congregation was caught unawares when the hoodlums started shooting, saying people were running to avoid being shot while the gunmen threw dynamites into the church, that exploded on the altar of church.

He said the church was full brim, adding that no fewer than 500 people were in the church when the gunmen started shooting and no fewer than 50 were killed with several others injured in the attack.

The gunmen were said to have used dynamites to detonate the altar of the church while mass was going on, leaving part of the altar caved in.

Blood stains littered the floor of the church as corpses and the injured were said to have been moved to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo. Some corpses were said to have been deposited at a private hospital.

One of the priests of the church, Rev. Father Andrew Abayomi, explained that the gunmen operated for about 25 minutes, shooting sporadically into the church.

“We were about to round off service. I had even asked people to start leaving, that was how we started hearing gunshots from different angles.

“We hid inside the church but some people had left when the attack happened. We locked ourselves in the church for 20 minutes. When we heard that they had left, we opened the church and rushed victims to the hospital.”

Another witness, Taiwo Kasali, a motorcyclist said he was approaching the church when he saw the people running away and had to stop, only for him to see four men entering a Golf Volkswagen car.

He said some men of the Amotekun Corps who were coming with their vehicle gave the hoodlums a hot chase saying, “I learnt the gunmen abandoned their vehicle and ran away.”

He, however, lamented how the hoodlums were able to carry out the attack in the heart of the town, saying the church is sandwiched between the main market and the palace of the Olowo of Owo, and that the hoodlums operated unhindered for over 25 minutes.

Lamenting the attack, the Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Bishop Jude Arogundade, who visited the scene of the attack said, “This is madness! All over the world, there is nowhere people will plan to come and kill babies, children, husbands and wives worshipping on a special day, the Pentecost day.

“It’s quite unbelievable that somebody will come and the intention is to kill everybody in that church. Those who were running out were being shot from outside, and those who were inside were being shot.

“They threw dynamites to blow off the altar down to the sanctuary. This kind of desecration can only be done by the evil ones.

“Probably what the world should know is that Nigeria is in war and this kind of war is directed at civilians. I don’t know the point someone is trying to make with this kind of evil but whatever point they intended to make they have not made any point and they have not achieved anything, unfortunately.”

The State Governor,  Rotimi Akeredolu, who expressed shock over the attack, promised the people of the state that the perpetrators will be arrested soon.

Akeredolu who had to cut short his party’s assignments in Abuja to assess the situation appealed to the people to be calm, urging them not to take laws into their hands.

The governor said the vile and satanic attack is a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom who have enjoyed relative peace over the years.

Akeredolu said, “It is a black Sunday in Owo. Our hearts are heavy. Our peace and tranquillity have been attacked by the enemies of the people. This is a personal loss, an attack on our dear state.”

He said those carrying out attacks are foreigners from Mali trained in Libya describing the attack as vile and satanic, and said “What happened here is too tragic. It is the most tragic event. What is happening in America is a child’s play to what has happened here.

“I have spoken to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, Most Reverend Jude Arogundade, who is presently on his way to Owo. Similarly, I have had to cut short my party’s national assignment in Abuja and visit Owo immediately.

“This is an unexpected development. I am shocked, to say the least. Nevertheless, We shall commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay.

“We shall never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in our resolves to rid our state of criminals.

“I commiserate with my people in Owo, particularly families of the those who lost their lives to this ugly and unfortunate attack. I extend my condolences to Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye as well as the Catholic Church.

“I urge our people to remain calm and vigilant. Do not take laws into your hands. I have spoken to the heads of the security agencies.

I have equally been assured that security operatives would be deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to Owo kingdom.”

Condemning the attack, the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, expressed shock at the attack saying,

“It is Pentecost Sunday when every Catholic is expected to be in Church to commemorate the solemnity.”

In a statement signed by Director, Social Communications, Rev. Fr. Augustine Ikwu, said

“It is so sad to say that while the Holy Mass was going on, unknown Gunmen attacked St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, 0ndo State, leaving many feared dead and many others injured and the church violated.

“The identity of the perpetrators remains unknown while the situation has left the community devastated. However, for now, security agencies have been deployed to the community to relatively handle the situation.

“At this point in the history of our dear country Nigeria, we need God’s ultimate intervention to restore peace and tranquillity.” 

He, however, said all the priests and bishop in the parish are safe and non was kidnapped as the social media has it, saying “nonetheless, let us continue to pray for them and the good people of Owo and the state at large. 

“We turn to God to console the families of those whose lives were lost to this distressing incident, and we pray for the departed souls to rest in peace. Amen. 

He urged the people to remain calm, be law-abiding and pray for peace and normalcy to return to our community, state and country. 

Meanwhile, the Pan Yoruba socio-political group,  Afenifere described the attack as ungodly, a war on Yoruba nation, and threat to the security of the state and Nigeria as a whole, saying the attack is not just on the church but a deliberate show at testing the self-defence strength of the Yoruba people.

In a statement by the Secretary-General of the group, Chief Sola Ebiseni, who said “the horrendous incident at the St. Francis Catholic Church in the ancient Yoruba city of  Owo, Ondo State, where scores of worshippers were killed by herdsmen wielding most sophisticated weapons is not just an attack on the church and the psyche of all decent people all over the world but a deliberate show at testing the self-defence strength of the Yoruba people in resisting the importation of the horrible culture of violence into our land.

St. Francis Catholic Church, the site of this inhuman carnage, is not only at the heart of Owo, but in fact sandwiched between the Oba Market and the Palace of the Olowo of Owo, an ancient Yoruba monarchical heritage, long declared a national monument and epicentre of human civilisation.

“We observe that this attack is coming less than a week after the Methodist Prelate was kidnapped by herdsmen and was only ransomed with the huge sum of One Hundred Million Naira with the respected clergy alluding to the complicity of the nation’s security forces in tandem with the earlier allegation by General Theophilus Danjuma, a former Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army.

“In all of these, the Federal Government of Nigeria, which against federal precepts, continues to monopolise security and its architecture, has proven most helpless and irresponsible in securing life and property, an irrefutable sign of the failure of the Nigerian state.

“The World be told to hold the Federal Government of Nigeria responsible for the ensuing consequences of this deliberate assault on the will of the Yoruba people for peace in our land in our unstoppable strives for development matching with the rest of the civilised world.

“We say in clear terms that the noiseless glides of the Amotekun are no sign of fear and that this stamp on the tail of the viper is one too many.

“We commiserate with the scores of families who have lost their loved ones, the Church which even  in innocence have  been bruised, Kabiesi, the Olowo of Owo, whose sacred eyes must not behold the corpse of his subjects and  the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, who, in spite of all constitutional odds, has held his head high on the issue of our people’s security.”

Former governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, also condemned the attack and called for urgent action saying the attack on unarmed worshippers is “an assault on our  humanity and bludgeons our sensibilities.”

Mimiko, in a statement by John Paul Akinduro, his Special Assistant on Media and Digital Communications, said the Owo massacre is a condemnable act and called on the state government to take “immediate action to mobilize all available healthcare assets to Owo and if need be a call for assistance from neighbouring states so as to be able to save as many as possible of those who were wounded in the attack”.

He also called on the government to apprehend and bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to immediate justice.

Mimiko commiserated with the government and people of Ondo state, Owo Kingdom, the Catholic diocese of Ondo and families of the victims.

According to him, “We stand with the Government and people of Ondo State. We stand in solidarity with the Olowo and the people of Owo, the Catholic diocese of Ondo and condemn this satanic attack in its entirety.

“I have placed a call through to Kabiyesi to commiserate with him and the good people of Owo kingdom on the huge loss recorded from the attack. I have also contacted the State Government to express my condolences and solidarity in the face of this unimaginable terror attack”.

Mimiko also called on every resident to be alert and, vigilant so as to nip any illegality and repeat attacks in the bud.

However, the State Police command confirmed the attack but said the command will give the full details later.

The State Police image maker, Funmi Odunlami,  said “we want to implore the people of the state to be calm as all security apparatus is currently active to ensure peace in the area.”