• Lack of prosecution of attackers painful, says monarch
• Worshippers turnout reduced by 40 per cent, says priest
One year after attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, survivors are still in agony over the incident.
The attack, which occurred on June 5, 2022, led to the death of innocent worshippers, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
With the church already renovated, The Guardian observed that the pain of the incident was visible on the faces of the surviving worshippers.
The worshippers, including the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye, expressed dissatisfaction over government’s inability to prosecute perpetrators of the dastardly act.
He said: “We are all disturbed. At a time, we heard that some people had been arrested, and the Nigerian Army came out to give that information. Ever since, we have not heard about prosecution. By now, prosecution should have started after much investigation.
“We are surprised that this matter is not being talked about anymore. People that lost their lives cannot just be forgotten so easily like that. We are, therefore, calling on government once again to live up to expectations. The security agencies must come out and give us information about those that were arrested.
However, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Michael Abuga, said attendance by worshippers in the church had dropped since the incident but expressed hope that this would improve.
According to him, the confidence of the survivors will be fully restored when the perpetrators are brought to book.
The priest said: “We thank God for those who have returned to worship God in this church after the incident. We have not recorded 100 per cent. We have just recorded about 60 per cent.” We are hopeful that with time, some of them will be able to come back. Maybe with this event, and with the security architecture, they will be rest assured and confident that they are safe in the church.”
Meanwhile, one of the surviving victims, Titilayo Adejokun, while narrating her harrowing experience during the attack, said she miraculously escaped being killed by the attackers.
