One of the priests at St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa
Street, Owo, Ondo State, Father Andrew Abayomi, has given an account of how the
church was attacked.
Abayomi who spoke during an interview with BBC Yoruba, said
suspected terrorists struck as the church service was wrapping up.
His words: “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 hide 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.”
The state’s governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, in a tweet reacted
to the incident that happened in his hometown.
He described the attack as “vile and satanic”, saying it was
a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom who have enjoyed
relative peace over the years.
“It is a black Sunday in Owo. Our hearts are heavy. Our
peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people. This is
a personal loss, an attack on our dear state. 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 those who lost dear 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.” Akeredolu said.
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