Shortly after the gunmen who killed worshipers at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, left, the gunmen broke into the church to take the victims’ valuables and steal money from the church. offering box, the church catechist said.
Jonatus Awolo, the catechist, who escaped during the attack, told PREMIUM TIMES that the shooting lasted more than 30 minutes and began when worshipers were celebrating the Feast of Pentecost.
He said thugs, believed to be members of the community, searched the bodies of the dead and left with their belongings.
“Some people entered the church after the perpetrators left,” Awolo said.
“It was some guys from the area on the street because after I escaped the shot, I went back again to check the situation of things after the perpetrators left. When I came back, I saw some people inside the sacristy, some children were inside the sacristy, some of them were looking everywhere.”
St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo [PHOTO CREDIT: Abdulqudus Ogundapo]Gunmen stormed the church Sunday morning, opening fire on the congregation and also setting off explosives as worshipers ran for safety.
At least 70 people were killed and injured, according to Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, the lawmaker representing Owo I Constituency, who visited the scene shortly after the attack.
Police said the gunmen arrived at the church around 11:30 a.m.
Inside the San Francisco Catholic Church, Owo [PHOTO CREDIT: Abdulqudus Ogundapo]”Preliminary investigation revealed that the assailants approached the church during the service, began shooting from outside the church, while others, about four, fired directly into the church,” police said in a statement.
While many of the injured victims were taken to the Federal Medical Center, Owo, for treatment, the bodies were deposited in different morgues in the state.
Injured victims with their relatives at the Federal Medical Center, Owo [PHOTO CREDIT: Abdulqudus Ogundapo]Governor Rotimi Akeredoluwho visited the site of the attack, ordered that the flags be flown at half-staff in the state for seven days.
On Monday, merchants at the popular Oja Oba market in the community closed their shops to mourn the victims of the attack.
Awolo said the thugs who ran into the church after the attack were taking money from the scene.
Market women showing their grievance inside the premises of the Catholic Church of San Francisco, Owo
“Even when the money collection box was scattered on the floor, people were just collecting money,” he said.
“Money is not what I’m talking about, I’m talking about the dead that are on the ground. People were collecting items from the victims, even my phone was also missing, I can’t find my phone and charger until now.
“They were stealing money, phones and bags from the dead victims. I caught one of them, I wanted to arrest him but I left him there. Imagine. There are many people who are of a bad heart than those perpetrators. Steal from corpses.”
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