The gunmen opened fire on the worshipers and detonated explosive devices
A doctor and local media reported that gunmen shot dead at least 50 people and wounded several others, in an attack on a Catholic church in Nigeria’s Ondo state during Sunday mass. A doctor at a hospital in the southwestern Nigerian town of Awu told Archyde.com that at least 50 bodies had already been taken to the Au Federal Medical Center and St. Louis Catholic Hospital.
President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack, which he described as a “despicable” act. It was not immediately clear the identity of the attackers or their motives. Local media said that the gunmen opened fire on worshipers and detonated explosive devices in the church. She added that among the dead were women and children.
There was only one incident at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, and the police would issue another statement soon, said Funmelayu Ibokun Odonlami, a police spokeswoman for Ondo state.
The Vatican’s media department said in a statement, “The Pope learned of the attack that took place in the Ondo Church in Nigeria and the killing of dozens, including several children, during the Pentecost mass.” “At a time when the details of the incident are still in the process of being clarified, Pope Francis prays for the victims and for the country that was deeply affected in a moment of celebration,” she added.
No party has claimed responsibility for the attack, whose motives and the number of dead people have not yet been known. State police spokesman Ibukun Odonlami said the church was attacked with firearms and explosives, killing an unknown number of worshipers. “It is still too early to determine the number of dead,” she told AFP. But many worshipers were killed and others wounded in the attack.”
A spokesperson for the Ondo state governor’s office said they would not provide an official death toll for the time being. In a statement, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akridolo called on security forces to find the attackers following this “blatant and demonic attack”.
Attacks targeting religious sites are considered sensitive in Nigeria; Tensions sometimes erupt between different communities, in a country in the south of which is inhabited by a majority of Christians, while a Muslim majority dominates in its north. The Nigerian army is deployed on several fronts in an attempt to put an end to the insecurity.
Churches have been targeted by the jihadist group “Boko Haram” in the northeast of the country in the past, in the context of the conflict in Nigeria, which has killed 40,000 people and displaced two million.
Kidnappings are common in most parts of Nigeria; But armed attacks, such as the one that occurred Sunday, are rare in the country’s relatively calm southwest.
The attack comes a day before Nigeria’s ruling All-Progressive Congress party starts primaries for its 2023 candidate to replace Buhari, the former army chief who is stepping down following two terms in office. The largest country in Africa in terms of population witnessed attacks and kidnappings for ransom, by armed gangs, mostly in the northwest of the country.
