A Catholic priest yesterday gave details of how St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State was attacked on June 5, 2022, which resulted in the death of over 40 worshippers, with over 100 others suffering various harms.
The priest, whose name was not given, but merely identified as “SSA”, spoke while testifying as the first prosecution witness in the prosecution of five men accused, in a nine-count amended charge, of being behind the attack.
Those being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) in relation to the attack are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25 years), Al Qasim Idris 20 years), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26 years), Abdulhaleem Idris (25 years) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47 years).
The witness said the attack took place towards the end of the first Pentecost Sunday service attended by many worshippers.
The priest, who said he presided over the service, told the court that as the service was drawing to a close, they heard a loud noise, followed by sporadic shootings, which created commotion and chaos among worshippers.
Led in evidence by the prosecuting lawyer, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), the witness said said June 5, 2022 remained a memorable day for him “because it was the day when the violent attack was launched on us – myself and the worshiping community of St Francis Catholic Church, Owo Ondo State.
“It was an incident, which led to the death of over 40 persons among us, while some of us became maimed; some of us, till this point, have physical injuries.
“I recall that the attack was towards the end of the worship that day. I was the priest assigned to lead the community in worship, which is known as the holy mass.
“Towards the end of the mass, I was performing the last rite and the people of God have started singing the recessional hymn, the closing hymn. Suddenly I heard a loud sound. I looked into the congregation, facing them.
“There was already a commotion, which for me, I thought somebody had fallen. But, I sighted two men from our congregation, these men were members of our community.
“They quickly locked the main entrance door and another elder in the church came to me in the sanctuary and said to me, father, we are under attack.
“From this point, I heard the sporadic shooting of guns. This was still outside the church. This elder told me, ‘Father you have to leave’. At first, I was reluctant to leave the sanctuary. If not for anything, but at least, because of those children, who call me Father.
“So, taking my leave from the sanctuary, I and some adults moved some of these children into a safe place. This is an attachment to that church.
“When I was in this place (the safe place), I continued to hear the continuous shooting of guns and the use of about three explosives.’’
“The third explosive landed very close to the safe place, where I was with the children, with the effect which looked like the opening of the ground. The effect was like the ground opening to swallow us immediately.
“So, the attack continued. After a while, some of our church members came into this place (safe place) and notified us that those who came to attack us have left.
“Moving out with the children, I saw my choir master shot at the chest. He called me to pray for him. I did, but I told him I have to move him to the hospital.
When I got out, I saw some already dead on the floor.
“So, I shouted that if there is any of us, who could still drive, let us begin to move our brothers and sisters to the hospital,” the witness said.
On whether he counted the number of the dead, said it was impossible for him to ascertain the number of those killed under the chaos that the attackers created in the church environment on that day.
