Sadness and grief descended on the indigenes of Ondo and the rest of the country when suspected Fulani herdsmen openly shot at the congregation of St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State. It has been gathered that the gunmen were up to 5 and that no more than 25 worshippers were killed by them. It has been confirmed that the gunmen only threw explosives when they wanted to kidnap the church priest. Eyewitnesses have also confirmed that the gunmen caught the members of the church unawares.
Speaking out in a statement issued by Chief Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, the President has expressed grief and shock over the brutal murders that happened midday Sunday 5 June 2022, at the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State and has condemned the evil act stating that unending sorrow would await the gunmen both on earth and in the afterlife.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has made a promise to track down each one of the fiends that were behind the gruesome murders of the members of the church. In a statement his Chief Press secretary issued shortly after the killings, he 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.”
“I urge our people to remain calm and vigilant. Do not take laws into your hands. I have spoken to the heads of security agencies. I have equally been assured that security operatives would be deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to Owo kingdom.” The Governor concluded.
Also, the head of the Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, IOOW, Professor Akintoye, has on Sunday, depicted the grisly killings of the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, congregation as “a declaration of war against the Yoruba people.” Professor Akintoye has also gone on to plead with the Ondo state Governor to declare a state of emergency on the activities of the Fulani Herdsmen in the state.
