More details have emerged on the attack at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, on Sunday, which left many people killed.
Owo is the hometown of the Governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu.
It was learnt that the incident happened immediately after the church ended its mass service.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants attacked the church with guns and dynamite.
One of them noted that the attackers gained entry into the church through the fence and gate of the worship centre.
One of the eyewitnesses, who is a Reverend Father, Andrew Abayomi, said many worshippers were killed despite the security measures taken by the church.
“We were about to finish service. Immediately, we asked people to leave, and we began to hear the sound of gunshots and dynamite from different angles. We immediately asked people to run back inside the church and shut the door.
“We hid inside the church, but some people had left when the attack happened. We locked ourselves in the church for about 20 minutes. When we heard that they had left, we opened the church and rushed the victims to the hospital.”
A youth who witnessed the incident said an ice cream seller was the first victim of the attacker.
He explained that the attackers gained access to the church with dynamite but shot the worshippers with guns.
He said, “I heard the sound of gunshots. They (the attackers) first shot the ice cream seller. They later went into the church and started shooting. They used the dynamite to gain entrance into the church.
“It happened immediately after the Father announced that ‘worship has ended; go home in peace.’ No one was kidnapped. I drove the Father to the hospital and brought him back.”
A resident of the area explained that the attackers had laid an ambush for the worshippers.
He said, “It happened in broad daylight. Is it a crime to go and worship God? Look at both the old and the young who have been killed. If it is because of the 2023 elections, they should tell us what they want.
When asked the number of the attackers, he said, “Who dares to count under heavy gunshots?” They came in through the fence and gate. They laid an ambush and penetrated. They shot guns and used dynamite to enter.”
We were still evacuating corpses – Secretary Owo LG, Taye Adako
The Secretary of Owo Local Government, Taye Adako, said corpses were still being evacuated hours after the attack happened.
“I met many corpses here, and we are still evacuating. It is something that saddens us. What we saw this morning is painful.
“Government won’t watch this happen like that. Many people have been killed. We have been evacuating corpses. Security operatives are here already. We appeal to people to be patient. The government is on top of the situation.
We have never seen something like this before. They just attacked the church with guns and dynamite. Innocent lives are being killed. We will ensure justice.”
