BLACK SUNDAY: Gunmen Attack St. Francis Catholic Church, Owa-Iuwa, And Killed Over 50 People

BLACK SUNDAY: Gunmen Attack St. Francis Catholic Church, Owa-Iuwa, And Killed Over 50 People Pandemonium erupted at Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo, the headquarters of the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State as gunmen attacked the church on Sunday. The church attack came barely a week after the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Bishop Samuel Kanu-Uche, was kidnapped in Abia State by gunmen the priest later identified the abductors as Fulani youths.   

BLACK SUNDAY: Gunmen Attack St. Francis Catholic Church, Owa-Iuwa, And Killed Over 50 People

BLACK SUNDAY: Gunmen Attack St. Francis Catholic Church, Owa-Iuwa, And Killed Over 50 People

Pandemonium erupted at Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo, the headquarters of the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State as gunmen attacked the church on Sunday. The church attack came barely a week after the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Bishop Samuel Kanu-Uche, was kidnapped in Abia State by gunmen the priest later identified the abductors as Fulani youths. 


The information available has it that the gunmen, who attacked the Catholic church, arrived at the premises, which is less than 200 meters from the palace of the Olowo of Owo, at 12 pm when the Sunday mass was being rounded off. 

The reporter gathered that worshippers, mostly children, and women, were killed in the attack, by gunmen, who were said to have thrown an improvised explosive device before they started shooting sporadically 

Some of the lifeless body of worshipers in a pool of blood was seen in a 37-second video posted online 

Workers of the Federal Medical Centre and Saint Louis Hospital, both in Owo, where the dead and the injured were taken to, told one of the correspondents that a total number of 35 people were brought in dead. 

But the state police command when contacted at about 8:30 pm said that they are still compiling the casualty figure. Also, the church and the state government did not specify the casualty figure 

Both the Reuters and the Voice of America reported on Sunday that over 50 people were killed in the attack. 

However, a resident of the area, who identified himself as Olabamiji, said the attack was carried out by gunmen who disguised as worshippers before entering the church’s premises. 

According to him, immediately they entered the church premises, they threw an IED before shooting the congregants. 

In his words, “We saw them.  They didn’t cover their faces. Initially, we thought that they were going into the church for the service, not knowing that they were gunmen. Suddenly, we heard gunshots.  They directed the gun at everyone, particularly women and children. 

“While the attack lasted, we did not see any security operative confront the gunmen. We could not even count their number because everybody had to run for safety.” 

I was going home, when they struck, it was like a war front — Survivor 

One of the survivors, who identified herself as Mary Williams, in an interview with the PUNCH reporter, said she narrowly escaped the attack.