I was going through some conversations on a WhatsApp group that I belong to when I saw one of the videos of the gruesome terrorist attack which took place at the St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the town of Owo, Ondo State on Sunday, 5th June 2022. I deleted it midway as I saw worshippers lying in pools of blood while people around them wailed! The few seconds that I saw still haunt me. The scene was horrible.
It was said that the assailants approached the church during the service. While some of them started shooting from outside the church, others were said to have shot directly into the church. Why on earth will you shoot at people who have done nothing wrong? According to reports at least 50 corpses including those of children had been moved to the main government hospital in Owo and St Louis Catholic hospital, while several others with injuries from bullets and explosives are being treated. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Ondo State is appealing to residents of the state to donate blood as a matter of urgency to help save the lives of the survivors.
As usual, the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the brutal killings. He said Nigeria will never surrender to “evil and wicked people”. Buhari has been condemning the activities of these terrorists for as long as I can remember, even though he was massively voted into power in 2015 to end the spate of terrorist attacks in some parts of the country as several Nigerians felt he held the ‘Four Aces,’ being a former military Head of State. With the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries scheduled to start in the next few hours, I’m saddened that it will soon be business as usual as Nigerians will soon be distracted by the politicians and their shenanigans. Just in case you may have forgotten, the victims of the Kaduna train attack are still in captivity since March 28, 2022.
Nevertheless, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has given me a reason to believe. He not only left Abuja for Ondo State as soon as he heard of the attack, but he has also vowed to commit every available resource to hunt down the assailants and make them pay for their crimes. Just in case you are not aware, Governor Akeredolu is a man who prioritizes the safety of his constituents.
While we hope that the government will do more than condemn these dastardly acts by dealing decisively with the terrorists, we pray that God Almighty will console the families of the victims.
May the souls of the departed Rest in Peace.
By John Olugbemi #musingsofthegods
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Olugbemi is a historian, creative writer and communications strategist. An avid reader with a passion for a system that works, he has consistently used his Facebook page to inform, encourage and entertain his friends and followers within and outside Nigeria. A Google Certified Digital Business Developer, John presently heads the Marketing and Communications Unit of the Millard Fuller Foundation, an organisation with a vision to provide truly affordable homes to Nigerians who are in need. His hobbies include writing, reading, cooking travelling, and jogging. He is married to an adorable woman, and they are blessed with three beautiful daughters.
Hi, I am Flora Ngo-Martins. I love writing and I am passionate about fashion, stories, news and food. Sometimes I get a little bit serious but that's alright, I can also be mischievous. I also like to analyse stuffs people do and sometimes judge.*wink*
Most of all, I love to influence the lives of people positively and tell people's stories from a totally different perspective.
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