On Friday, when a burial service was performed for victims of terrorist assaults on the Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owaluwa, Owo, Ondo State, emotions ran high and tears flowed freely, with the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, acknowledging he had failed his people.
Governor of Ondo State, Akeredolu, who is also the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, is in his second term. The governor, who was at the requiem mass with his wife, Betty Anyanwu, could not contain his emotion as he wept throughout his speech, pausing occasionally to look at the dozens of corpses placed in front of the faithful and government officials as well as traditional rulers who had turned up for the requiem mass.
While admitting that he failed to defend the terror attack victims, he also stated that the forces on the opposing side are bad and that they will not triumph indefinitely.
“We have failed to defend these people. Not because we have not tried, but because these forces on the other side are evil and they have support,” he said.
“They will not triumph over us forever.”
“When I see the sea of heads that are here; it speaks volumes,” he remarked, urging the central government to rise to the situation and do something. What has occurred in Owo, Ondo State, is terrible.
“A lot of words are used to qualify it: dastardly, horrendous. But I still believe there are words to use to describe it, but I am still short of those words.
“We have just 22 (deceased) in this hall. A few of them have been buried because the relatives couldn’t wait till today. But as at the last count, these animals came to the church and murdered 40 people.”
But the Bishop of Ondo Catholic Diocese, Dr. Jude Arogundade, absolved the governor of any failure saying, “You didn’t fail. You are a strong soldier. Your determination to protect those who voted you into power is unquestionable. This was done by cowards. You have tried your best,” the Bishop said.
The Bishop added that, “If this is not genocide, I don’t know what genocide is. I know they have promised us they will find the killers; all these are flimsy promises.
“What is this? Why do people have no shame? This country, you don’t have shame any more.
“They just talk but do not match talks with work. So, my brothers and sisters, you didn’t fail, your country failed you, and we know the leaders that failed us and we will continue to hold them accountable. This will not go away,” he said.
As seen by InsightnaijaTV, at least 40 people, including children, were massacred by unidentified gunmen during a mass service at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo on Sunday, June 5.
Around 80 people were injured in the incident, with varying degrees of severity.
