Owo Attack: 40 Slain Victims For Burial Friday

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

About 40 worshippers that were killed by terrorists at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, headquarters of Owo local government area, Ondo State, would be committed to mother earth on Friday, 17th June, 2022. 

The Director of Social Communication, Catholic Diocese of Ondo, Rev. Fr. Augustine Ikwu, confirmed that a mass burial would be organised for the victims. 

Terrorists had on Sunday, 5th June, 2022 attacked the church and killed many worshippers, a massacre that was believed to be a retaliatory attack by pastorialist over feud with farmers on grazing in the state. 

He said that the burial would hold at the church’s new cemetery at Emure Road, Owo, insisting that only 40 persons died during the attack. 

Meanwhile, the survivors are still receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre and St. Louis Catholic Hospital in Owo, as well as other private hospitals in the state.

Although no one has been arrested in connection with the attack considered as an affront to Christianity, but the police said that three unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered from the scene of the church attack.

The Force Police Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated that police investigators also recovered pellets of expended AK-47 ammunition from the scene.

To this end the, Inspector-General of Police has ordered a thorough investigations into the incident, with a view to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

 However, governors across the six states in the South-west region have declared three days of mourning for victims of the terror attack at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The governors revealed this in a virtual meeting held on Friday to review the state of insecurity in the region.

While condenming the attack in a communique issued at the end of the meeting, it was agreed that all the governors should direct the flying of Flags at Half Mast in all public buildings, facilitates and official residences across all the states in the South-west in honour of the victims.