Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has said the people of South-West will not be slaves in their own land just as he warned marauders to stay away from the state
According to him, the people of South-West have come to the country in peace and would resist any attempt to visit the region with war.
This is as he described the Owo June 5 church attack as indescribable carnage while assuring that efforts would be made to prevent such calamity from happening again.
The Governor said this when he received a delegation of Ondo Province, Anglican Communion, led by the Archbishop of Ondo Province and Bishop of Akure Diocese, His Grace, Simeon Borokini.
Others present during the visit included Bishops of Owo Diocese, Dr. Stephen Fagbemi; Bishop of Ile-Oluji Diocese, Abel Ajibodu; Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Stephen Oni and Bishop of Idoani Diocese, Adegoke Agarra.
“I’m sure you have visited the Catholic Bishop of Ondo. We are all grieving, it is not limited to Catholic. But this incident happened at St Francis Catholic Church, and it hit them directly. No doubt, it was a carnage on the 5th of June in Owo.
“I was in Abuja and I got several calls and in less than three hours I was already back in Owo. I visited the scene of the crime. When I got there it was still a bit fresh; I saw pool of blood inside the church here and there. It was very clear to us that the poeple that came, came to maim and kill and no other thing.
“They did not kidnap anybody, they did not take a penny, neither did they ask the poeple for their phones. After blasting the alter, they still went to the Sacristy and killed those hiding there. They started shooting from the gate of the church, according to the account of those who were there.
“I have been to the hospitals severally. When you get to the hospital and see people who suffered from gunshots and those who can tell the story of their relatives like the woman whose daughter also suffered gunshots, who said she lost her only son who is studying Pharmacy in the university. That child would probably still be in the university if not for ASUU strike.
“If you get to the hospital and see a nurse who walked into St Francis to pray and today she has no leg again. Her two legs have been amputated.
“When I got to the children’s ward, that was where I wept because I was convinced and said, what can you call the sins of these children. It did not make sense. You killed many children. Who will not weep? Is that a scene to be happy about? What have these children done? Do they deserve this?
“What happened is indescribable. I keep repeating it, these are animals. You must have lost your sense of humanity to carry out such a dastardly act against the defenseless people. But as Christians, we will keep thanking God because in all things we must give thanks.
“It has happened and there is nothing we can do, but we will work to prevent this sort of calamity from happening again. Like I have been saying, we have come to this country in peace. We have never gone out of our place to go and cause havoc in any place. It has never happened. We have come to this country in peace and let them leave us in peace”, the Governor stressed.
