President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the Sunday killing of worshippers at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo Kingdom in Ondo State.
President Buhari made the condemnation through a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in Abuja.
“The President says only fiends from the nether region could have conceived and carried out such dastardly act, adding that eternal sorrow awaits them both on earth here, and ultimately in the hereafter.
“President Buhari mourns the dead, condoles with their families, the Catholic Church, and the Government of Ondo State, charging emergency agencies to swing into action, and bring succor to the wounded.
“No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome light. Nigeria will eventually win,” the statement read.
On his part, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo condemned the mass killing, describing it as atrocious.
Osinbajo stated: “I join President Muhammadu Buhari to condemn in strongest terms, the atrocious killing of worshippers Sunday at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo Kingdom, in Ondo State.
“This saddens inexplicably, and I mourn the dead from this very unfortunate event. Also, my thoughts and my prayers goes to the victims and their families, the Catholic Church, and the government of Ondo state.
“We will not cower to the whims of elements who lurk in darkness to unleash inconceivable wickedness on our citizens. We will keep standing against evil and Nigeria will win.
“As the President has charged, emergency agencies are to swing into action to bring succor to the wounded.
“We stand in utter solidarity with the people of Owo and Ondo state in this terrible moment,” he concluded.
Also, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), on Sunday, described the killing of worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, as barbaric and wicked.
Rev. Anselm Ologunwa, the Chairman of CAN in the State, in a statement on Sunday in Akure, condemned the attack.
“The killing of some innocent souls in the name of whichever guise is the highest criminality everybody should rise up and condemn in our society.
“How can some people just wake up from no where and decide to kill their fellow men unjustly without any recourse to the judgement of God,” he said.
Ologunwa called on the government to address the security challenges confronting the country.
According to him, “no where is safe in Nigeria with the recent kidnapping of Prelate of the Methodist Church and two others on the road, the train attack and on the air and now is inside the church of God.”
The CAN Chairman noted that the day was the feast of the Pentecost Sunday in the history of the Catholic Church, assuring the people that the Holy Spirit of God would definitely fight for those that were killed in the incident.
Ologunwa called on the state government and security agencies to as a matter of urgency go after the perpetrators of the henious act and bring them to justice.
The chairman condoled with families of the victims, the Catholic Community and the entire state, and prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
He assured that CAN would continue to promote religious harmony and equal opportunities for all in the state without discrimination.
The CAN Chairman admonished residents of the State to complement Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s efforts on security, charging them to be security conscious at all times.