A nurse who survived the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, has testified in court about the horrific incident that left her without legs and with one eye. The witness, identified as “SSD” for security reasons, recounted the events of that day, including the sound of gunshots and a dynamite explosion that shattered her legs and damaged her left eye.
The attack occurred during the church’s Pentecost Sunday service, and the witness described how she and others ran to the altar for safety, only to be met with further violence. She recalled praying for her family’s safety and forgiveness for her sins as the gunshots continued. After the explosion, she touched her eyes and legs, feeling only blood and what felt like rags, and realized she had lost her left eye and both legs.
The witness spent over five months in the hospital, undergoing treatment and eventually having her legs amputated above the knees. She now uses a wheelchair and prosthetic eye. In court, she showed the judge her damaged eye and legs, and estimated that at least 41 worshippers died in the attack.
The witness’s husband, “SSE,” also testified, describing how he and his family were in the church that day. He recounted the sound of gunshots and the explosion, and how he searched for his family members, including his wife, whom he eventually found injured and unrecognizable. He stated that the attackers used both guns and dynamites, and that he saw three attackers inside the church and one outside.
The testimony is part of an ongoing terrorism trial, in which five defendants are being prosecuted in connection with the attack. The case has been adjourned until February 10 and 11 for continuation of the trial. The incident has had a profound impact on the survivors and the community, with the Ondo State Government promising to provide support to those affected. However, the witness’s husband stated that the government’s promise to provide prostheses for his wife’s legs has not been fulfilled.
