Owo church attack
Owo church attack | |
---|---|
Part of religious violence in Nigeria | |
Location | Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria |
Coordinates | 7°11′40″N 5°35′02″E / 7.19444°N 5.58389°E |
Date | 5 June 2022 |
Target | Christian worshippers at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church |
Attack type | Bombing, mass murder, mass shooting |
Deaths | 41 confirmed 50+ (reported) |
Injured | Unknown 61+ (per government agencies) |
No. of participants | 5+ |
Accused | Islamic State – West Africa Province |
On 5 June 2022, a
Background
Ondo State is a relatively peaceful state in southwestern Nigeria. Most of the rest of the country[2] suffers low-intensity conflicts, including a jihadist insurgency by Boko Haram mostly in the northeast, and a conflict with bandits in the northwest, both of which have continued for more than a decade. A separate low-level insurgency in the southeast led by the Indigenous People of Biafra movement began in 2021. An increase in violence between farmers and nomads in Ondo had been recorded prior to the massacre,[3] and the state's government had recently passed restrictions on grazing.[4]
Attack
The attack took place at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the Owo local government area and began at around 11:30 AM (GMT+1) as worshippers inside the church were attending Mass and celebrating Pentecost.[3][5] A group of gunmen entered the church disguised as congregants, carrying bags that contained firearms. Another group took positions outside the church. Improvised explosive devices were detonated outside the church and both groups began firing on worshippers.[5] Those outside the church shot directly into it while those disguised as congregants fired from inside, shooting a boy who was selling candy at the entrance[6][7] and worshippers trying to reach two open sets of doors. The main entrance was locked[8] and the gunmen inside shot at anyone who moved. Passersby also were struck by bullets.[9] Videos of the inside of the church showed bodies of victims lying in pools of blood across the floor.[4][10] After the attack the gunmen fled using a stolen Nissan Sunny.[5]
A priest who survived the massacre said that the attack took place when the church "[was] about to round off service. I had even asked people to start leaving, that was how we started hearing gunshots from different angles. We hid inside the church but some people had left when the attack happened. We locked ourselves in the church for 20 minutes. When we heard that they had left, we opened the church and rushed victims to the hospital."[11] Fr Andrew Adeniyi Abayomi said he tried to protect parishioners, I remained in the inner part of the sacristy. I could not run as I was surrounded by children, while some adults clung to me, some even inside my chasuble. I shielded them just as a hen shields her chicks.[12] "Another priest who had temporarily left the building prior to the attack said he was walking back to the church when survivors running outside stopped him and told him that a massacre was taking place inside.[13]
A witness said that he saw five gunmen who perpetrated the attack.[14] Two police officers were killed.[15]
Casualties
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on 7 June that at least 22 dead bodies from the attack were in the local hospital's morgue, including two children,[16] and that at least 58 had been injured.[17][18] Many of the dead bodies at the church had been taken by their family members to a private burial at home, indicating a higher death toll.[16][a] On 9 June the government revised its death toll to at least 40, saying that 61 injured survivors were still in the hospital.[18][20] Another wounded victim died of his injuries later on.[21] At least five children are confirmed to have been killed.[22]
Witnesses and media agencies placed the number of people killed at over 50. Local politician
Aftermath
The massacre was received with widespread shock from the Nigerian public. The response by President Buhari and his
The attack made headlines across the world, with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need issuing a statement that read: "ACN denounces this outburst of violence, yet another terrorist act in Nigeria, one more on the long list of crimes against Christians. The country in general has been rocked by episodes of violence, banditry and kidnappings that, although affecting all ethnic and religious groups in the nation, have led to a long list of major attacks on the Christian community over the last few decades (...) ACN calls on all political and religious leaders in the world to firmly and explicitly condemn this terrorist attack at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, in southwest Nigeria, during Pentecost Sunday celebrations."[37]
In October 2022, Bishop Jude Arogundade of Ondo backed a petition by the UK office of ACN asking the UK Government to call on their Nigerian counterparts to bring to justice those responsible for the massacre and other similar atrocities.[38][39]
A
Culpability
No group has yet claimed responsibility,
The
The Amotekun Corps on 23 June announced that it had arrested some of the suspects and seized evidentiary weapons and vehicles.[48] In August 2022, the Nigerian military announced the arrests of another six suspects and added that one of them was an ISWAP leader who was planning more attacks. Akeredolu meanwhile announced the arrest of a person accused of having provided housing to the suspects before the attack was carried out.[49]
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "Attack against Catholic church leaves 50 dead in Nigeria". DW. 5 June 2022 from DW.com. Retrieved June 18, 2022. (in Spanish)
- ^ "Nigeria Owo church attack: Gunmen kill Catholic worshippers in Ondo". BBC News. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ a b c "Over 50 feared dead in Nigeria church attack, officials said". AP NEWS. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Nigeria: gunmen kill dozens in 'satanic' attack on Catholic church". the Guardian. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ a b c "Owo Church Attack: Police recover 3 unexploded bombs". Vanguard News. 6 June 2022. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Nigeria church massacre: What happened and why?". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ Adetayo, Ope. "'Last prayer': Nigerian church massacre survivors recount ordeal". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Gunmen at Nigeria church shot from both inside and outside". AP NEWS. 6 June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ "Dozens feared dead after gunmen attack Nigerian church, officials say". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "UPDATED: Many killed in Ondo church attack". Punch Newspapers. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "'We were locked in the church for over 20 minutes', priest speaks on Ondo attack". Daily Trust. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ ACN (15 June 2022). "Attack turns Pentecost Mass into bloodbath: "I shielded them as a hen shields her chicks", Nigerian priest recalls". ACN International. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Nigerian forces hunt for gunmen who killed 50 at church". AP NEWS. 6 June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Worshippers gunned down during church service in Nigeria". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ Babajide, Abdul (5 June 2022). "Foreigners from Mali trained in Libya behind attack on Owo Catholic church – Akeredolu". Daily Post Nigeria. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Infants among 22 worshippers killed in Nigeria church attack". AP NEWS. 7 June 2022. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Nigeria church attack killed 22 and injured 50, official says". Reuters. 7 June 2022. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.(subscription required)
- ^ Stephanie Busari. "Funeral mass held for victims of church gun massacre in Nigeria". CNN. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
"Some Igbo people carried their dead back to the southeast of the country. I'm still not sure how many died," she said.
- ^ a b Abuja, Reuters in (9 June 2022). "Islamic State affiliate suspected of Catholic church massacre, Nigeria says". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
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has generic name (help) - ^ "Owo massacre: Another victim dies in hospital". Punch Newspapers. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Nigeria funeral for church attack victims draws anger, tears". AP NEWS. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ "Over 50 Feared Dead in Nigeria Church Attack, Officials say". VOA. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ Owoeye, Fikayo (5 June 2022). "At least 50 dead after gunmen attack worshippers at church in Nigeria". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "Owo attack: No priest was kidnapped, says Catholic church". Punch Newspapers. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ Owoeye, Fikayo (5 June 2022). "At least 50 killed in massacre at Catholic church in southwest Nigeria". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ "Over 80 feared dead in attack on Catholic church in Nigeria, sources say". ABC News. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Several dead in Nigeria as gunmen attack Catholic church". The Guardian. Reuters. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ a b c "'Evil and wicked': Dozens killed in Nigeria church attack". Al Jazeera. 5 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ Nimi Princewill and Amy Cassidy (5 June 2022). "Mass shooting at Nigeria church kills dozens, says local lawmaker". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "IPOB declares attack on Ondo Catholic Church worshippers unacceptable". Vanguard News. 8 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "Nigeria Owo church attack: Blood on the altar". BBC News. 6 June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Ondo Church Attack: Osun Deploys Amotekun Security Personnel To Protect Churches, Mosques". Sahara Reporters. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ a b Obiezu, Timothy (10 June 2022). "Nigerian Officials Say Terror Group ISWAP Behind Church Massacre". Voice of America. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ ACN (7 June 2022). "ACN statement about the Pentecost massacre in St. Francis Xavier Church in Owo, Nigeria". ACN International. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ ACN UK. "Nigeria Petition". Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ ACN UK. "NIGERIA: Bishop backs petition demanding justice for persecuted Christians". Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Nigerian Authorities Hold Mass Burial Ceremony for Victims of Church Massacre". Voice of America. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ Stephanie Busari. "Funeral mass held for victims of church gun massacre in Nigeria". CNN. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ Adelaja, Temilade; Sanni, Kazeem (6 June 2022). "Pain and horror follow massacre in Nigerian Catholic church". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Owo Church Attack: Police recover 3 unexploded bombs". Vanguard News. 6 June 2022. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ Adelaja, Temilade; Sanni, Kazeem (7 June 2022). "Police recover explosives following massacre in Nigerian Catholic church". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ Adeyeye, Oluwafemi (10 June 2022). "Ondo Church Massacre: FG's conclusion on ISWAP too hasty – Akeredolu". The Witness Newspaper. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ "Owo Massacre: FG's conclusion on ISWAP too hasty – Gov Akeredolu". News360 Info – Breaking News, Nigerian News and Multimedia, World News. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ Ogbuanoh, Jossey. "Ginja Me – News: Owo massacre: Federal Governments conclusion on ISWAP too hasty – Akeredolu". Ginja Me. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ Leke Adegbite (23 June 2022). "Amotekun arrests suspects of Owo church attack". Radio Nigeria. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ Benedict Mayaki (12 August 2022). "Nigeria: Suspects in Owo Church attack apprehended". Vatican News. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
External links
- Adelaja, Temilade; Sanni, Kazeem (6 June 2022). "Blood on the church walls – gruesome scenes after Nigeria attack". Reuters. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- "Nigeria's Owo church massacre: Who are the victims?". BBC News. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- "Please sign ACN's Nigeria petition". ACN UK. Retrieved 26 April 2023.