Amaechi said the attack at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, was “a terrible, absolutely vile and senseless murder of innocent citizens.”
By Emma Ogbuehi
Nigerian leaders rose up as one on Sunday to condemn the dastardly attack by gunmen at the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, that led to the death of many.
While former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim described the Owo massacre as a despicable assault on humanity and desecration of the church of God, former Transformation Minister and frontline president aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rotimi Amaechi, said the attack was “a terrible, absolutely vile and senseless murder of innocent citizens.”
In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Anyim said the killing of the worshippers during Sunday service was despicable, callous, as well as an assault on humanity and desecration of the Church of God.
He wondered why the evil men could enter into the sacred House of God to kill innocent and defenceless worshippers who had gone to commune with their Creator.
The former PDP presidential aspirant said he condemned the heinous murder “in the strongest term possible as despicable, barbaric, callous, evil and as an assault on humanity.”
“I cannot understand why these evil men would carry out this dastardly act against defenceless citizens who had gone to the Holy Temple of the Lord Almighty to commune with their creator.
“I call on the Ondo State Government and all the Security Agencies to go after these criminals, fish them out and make them face the law for the mindless murder of innocent citizens”, Anyim, former secretary to the Government of the Federation charged.
Anyim prayed for the repose of the souls of those killed. He equally condoled with relations of the deceased.
Amaechi in a statement by his media office, commiserated with the affected families, St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the people of Owo Kingdom and the people and Government of Ondo State.
The former Governor of Rivers State urged security agencies to collaborate and fish out the perpetrators, saying, “I feel so sad and livid that these criminals are so emboldened to carry out these barbaric attacks on the people in broad day light. Our security agencies have to put heads together and smoke out these monsters and ensure they are punished, immobilized and totally flushed out.”
“They must also in partnership with our government, step up intelligence and work round the clock to nip such acts of terror in the bud.
“May the souls of the departed rest in the bosom of the Lord. I also pray for the families, the church, the people and the Government of Ondo State to find strength in the midst of the sorrow and pain,” Amaechi said.
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Also, speaking on the matter which has thrown the country into morning, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, urged security agencies to fish out those behind the gruesome killings.
Atiku said he was devastated by reports of loss of scores of lives following the attack.
This was contained in a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, in Abuja.
Ibe quoted his principal as saying “Any attack on innocent citizens indeed of a gathering of worshippers in any place in Nigeria stands condemned; it is a red line,” Atiku said.
“My prayers are with the people of Owo, especially families of the deceased. I do hope that the state government and relevant security agencies will leave no stones unturned in apprehending the criminals.
“I condole with all the affected families; the St. Francis Catholic Church Owa-luwa; the body of Catholic faithful in Nigeria and the people and government of Ondo State.
“Even as I pray that someday, very soon, we shall have a lasting solution to these painful episodes, I urge the security agencies not to relent in their efforts to fish out the culprits and bring them to justice.”
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has also condemned the heinous killings.
Lawan described the callous attack on innocent worshippers as shocking and reprehensible.
“My heart goes out to the families of the victims, the Government and entire people of Ondo State.
“This incident should be painstakingly investigated to unravel the criminals behind it with a view to quickly bringing them to justice.
“It is another wakeup call on all security agencies to up their game with a view to averting the occurrence of such incidents in future,” Lawan said.
The Senate President prayed for the repose of the souls of those killed and wishes the injured speedy recovery.
