The attack on the Catholic faithful of St. Francis Xavier’s Catholic Church, Owo on Sunday, June 5, 2022 is callous and barbaric. We have never had it so bad for our country to be failing in nearly all aspects of her corporate existence. Security is in shambles, the economy has failed rendering a majority of the citizenry in extreme poverty, and even the trend in politics gives a lot of concern to the average Nigerian. We are living at a time that the fears and anxiety of the citizens are not being satisfactorily addressed by government. Beyond condemnation of such attacks, we do not see proactive measures being taken to prevent similar attacks.
This only points to a failing state that has abdicated all its statutory responsibilities such that non-state actors operate freely and with impunity. What offence did these people commit to deserve this kind of death while worshipping God? We continue to call on the government of the day to fish out all those responsible for yet another senseless massacre of innocent people, this time in a Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State. We demand that government ensures that the perpetrators face the full wrath of the Law.
• Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos.
