At least 50 killed in massacre at Catholic church in southwest Nigeria
By Fikayo Owoeye
LAGOS (Reuters) -Gunmen attacked a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria throughout mass on Sunday, killing not less than 50 individuals together with ladies and kids, in accordance with a hospital physician and media studies.
The gunmen shot at individuals inside and outside the church constructing, killing and accidents worshippers, stated Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, police spokesperson for Ondo state.
She didn’t say how many individuals have been killed or injured at St Francis Catholic Church within the city of Owo however added police have been investigating the reason for the assault.
Ondo state Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who visited the scene of the assault and injured individuals in hospital, described Sunday’s incident as “an awesome bloodbath” that shouldn’t be allowed to occur once more.
The identification and motive of the attackers was not instantly clear.
“It’s so unhappy that whereas the Holy Mass was occurring, unknown gunmen attacked St Francis Catholic Church…leaving many feared useless and plenty of others injured and the Church violated,” stated Catholic Church spokesman in Nigeria, Reverend Augustine Ikwu.
Ikwu stated the bishop and monks from the parish had survived the assault unhurt.
A physician at a hospital in Owo informed Reuters that not less than 50 our bodies had been introduced into two hospitals within the city from the assault. The physician, who declined to be named as a result of he isn’t authorised to talk to the press, additionally stated there was a necessity for blood donations to deal with the injured.
President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the assault, calling it “heinous”, and the Vatican stated Pope Francis was praying for the victims who had been “painfully stricken in a second of celebration”.
Nigeria is battling an Islamist insurgency within the northeast and armed gangs who perform assaults and kidnappings for ransom, largely within the northwest.
Within the southwest, assaults comparable to this are uncommon.
(Reporting by Fikayo Owoeye in Lagos, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Camillus Eboh and Felix Onuah in Abuja; Enhancing by Catherine Evans, David Holmes and Lisa Shumaker)
