THE Catholic Diocese of Ondo has reacted to the attack on worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo on Sunday, which left many dead and others injured.
In a statement released on Sunday, the diocese described the incident as a sad one.
“It is so sad to say that while the Holy Mass was going on, unknown gunmen attacked St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State leaving many feared dead and many others injured and the Church violated. The identity of the perpetrators remains unknown while the situation has left the community devastated,” the statement said.
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The statement noted that security operatives had been deployed to the area to restore normalcy.
The diocese, in the statement, also debunked reports that priests were abducted.
“However, for now, security agencies have been deployed to the community to relatively handle the situation. At this point in the history of our dear country Nigeria, we need God’s ultimate intervention to restore peace and tranquillity.
“Meanwhile, all the priests in the parish are safe and none was kidnapped as the social media has it. Nonetheless, let us continue to pray for them and the good people of Owo and the state at large,” the statement added.
An unidentified number of worshippers died following an attack on the church on Sunday.
The attack happened on the church premises while mass was ongoing.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.