Ten months after terrorists gruesomely murdered 41 worshippers and injured another 41 at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, the church reopened yesterday for an Easter service under tight security. The Nigeria Police Force, the military, local hunters and the church’s security arm, known as Men of Order and Discipline (MOD), were deployed to strategic points to protect the crowded congregation.
The attack, which occurred on June 5, 2022, saw suspected terrorists storm the church during the Sunday morning mass, killing 41 people and wounding many others. In his address to the mournful congregation, Bishop Jude Arogundade of the Ondo Diocese lamented the government’s failure to curb the persistent crime and violence plaguing the country. He criticized the authorities for not protecting lives and property, and for not issuing an apology for the unprovoked assault that claimed so many lives.
“We must understand what is happening in our society today,” the bishop said. “I have never seen a nation so comfortable watching the daily killing of its citizens, yet nothing has been done for the past fifteen years. It does not happen elsewhere. I do not know why the government refuses to apologise to the citizens it has failed. A government that cannot protect its people is unworthy of the name ‘government.’”
He continued, “I say this without fear: the government has failed us. It has failed to protect lives and property. Almost daily we hear of killings in the tens and hundreds; many have already forgotten what happened in this church ten months ago because more tragedies occur without the world’s attention. The government must awaken, show strength and courage, and ensure that those responsible for the attack on this church and the broader evil in our country are brought to justice and punished accordingly.”
After the service, survivors spoke with reporters. Augustine Oloruntogbe described the killings as an “unfortunate incident” that will remain evergreen in the memories of those who survived. He thanked Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and other compassionate Nigerians for their assistance to the injured and the families of the deceased. Mrs. Josephine Ejelonu, who lost both legs in the hand‑grenade explosion, expressed gratitude to God for her continued life despite her hardships and recounted the harrowing months she spent in the hospital.
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