Rev Father Andrew Abayomi, one
of the priests at St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo, Ondo State,
has narrated how the church was attacked.
In an interview with BBC
Yoruba, the cleric said suspected terrorists struck as the day’s service was
about to end.
“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.”
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has
reacted to the incident, which 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 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.” Akeredolu
said.
