According to church officials and witnesses, while assailants opened fire on attendees inside a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria, other gunmen waited outside to shoot those who attempted to flee.
A politician from the area said the attack killed at least 50 people, including children. The gunmen eluded capture, according to local authorities, and no one has claimed responsibility for the massacre.
While northern Nigeria has been battling an Islamic insurgency for over 13 years, Ondo state has long been regarded as one of the country’s most stable.
Gunfire erupted at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Ondo state as worshippers were attending Pentecost Sunday Mass. The Ondo Diocese’s Bishop Jude Arogundade stated there were gunmen inside the church, as well as gunmen outside who slaughtered churchgoers fleeing in fright.
Hearing gunshots, Steven Omotayo, who lives near the church, hurried to the scene.
“I observed a lot of dead bodies,” he claimed, “both young and old, even children.” “From the gate, the people came in and started firing.”
He claimed the church has three entrances, one of which was reportedly shut, making it difficult for many to flee.
“All they were doing was shooting.” “If they notice someone attempting to flee or stand up, they will simply shoot them,” he claimed. “Everyone who was standing got hit with gunshots.”
Following the attack, hospital professionals struggled to treat a large number of injured people. The Nigeria Medical Association in Ondo state has ordered all available physicians to go to the hospitals and assist dozens of seriously injured people.
“At one point, even our blood bank’s supply was depleted, and we had to be begging for blood,” said a doctor at the Federal Medical Center in Owo who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.
“Even as a physician, I’ve seen a lot of accidents, but what I saw yesterday was way above anything I’ve ever seen in my life or in my work.”
Security officers were “on top of the situation,” according to State Police Commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran.
“A team, working with the military, tracked the assailants, but we were unable to catch up with them,” he said.
