United Nations, United Kingdom, World Health Organisation, Express Concerns Over Perpetrators Of Owo Catholic Church Attack, Demand Justice

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has condemned Sunday’s terrorist attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State, where 22 persons were reported killed. Guterres, who reacted to the massacre yesterday in a statement by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, called on the Nigerian government to bring the culprits to justice.

Guterres extended his condolences to the families of the victims, wished speedy recovery to the injured, and expressed his sympathies and solidarity with the government and people of Nigeria.

UK Parliament Debates Massacre, Decries Rising Insecurity in Nigeria.

The United Kingdom Parliament considered the bloody attack in Owo a matter of urgent international importance. Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), Vicky Ford, said she was horrified by the attack.

Ford stated, “I publicly express the UK Government’s condemnation of this heinous act and stress the importance of those responsible being brought to justice in accordance with the law. The High Commission in Nigeria has also expressed our condolences to the governor of Ondo State and offered our support. I know that the House will join me in sending our condolences to the families and communities of those killed.

The Commissioner for Health in Ondo State, Dr. Banji Ajaka, had revealed yesterday that a total of 22 worshippers were confirmed dead. Ajaka, who spoke in an interview with journalists in Akure, also confirmed the official casualty figure in the attack on the church, which occurred during Mass.

The official confirmation came less than 24 hours after the Nigeria Police issued a statement, saying it recovered unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and pellets of expended AK-47 ammunition from the scene of the attack.

At the time of filing this report, the motive of the assailants remained unspecified, even though the police said they had launched an investigation into the attack

A team from the World Health Organisation (WHO), led by the Country Representative and Head of Mission, Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo, visited the Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday at his office in Akure.

According to the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, the team was in the state to commiserate with the government and the people over the sad incident.

Olatunde quoted the governor as saying that contrary to rumours doing the rounds, no one was kidnapped during the incident, stressing, “The terrorists came to maim and kill.”

As part of measures being put in place to forestall future occurrence, Akeredolu urged public and religious centres to install Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at strategic places to enhance security. He called on the people to be more vigilant and report strange faces in their vicinities to the authorities.

The governor appreciated the WHO team for identifying with the state and the support given so far. He said he was surprised that such an act could be carried out even in God’s sanctuary.

Akeredolu stressed, “Where else is safe if that sanctuary is not safe. In war situation, even soldiers could run into a church for safety. These are mad people, I’m not too sure they are human beings. They have lost their own humanity and there is no way you can regard them as human beings. I think they are animals in human skin.

Source: Thisdaylive