The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Sunday condemned the “unprovoked attack and the killing of several innocent worshippers” at the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo, Ondo State.
The CAN President, Dr Samson Ayokunle, in a statement, urged the nation’s security agencies to immediately apprehend the perpetrators of the dastardly criminality.
Ayokunle said in a statement signed on his behalf by his Spokesperson, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji: “This is sad, wrong, condemnable, outrageous, unacceptable and satanic. There is no explanation for this unprovoked attack and assault on a place of worship. This is raw persecution.
“These people are possessed, demonic and are not working for the good of the country. May God descend heavily on them and fight them mindless agents of Satan from their roots in Jesus’ name.”
He also reiterated CAN’s demand for a total overhauling of the security architecture and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the recycling of terrorists and criminals in the name of de-radicalising programme.
He said: “If the programme is not counterproductive, how come the criminalities are always on the increase and nowhere is safe again.
“This menace of insecurity has gotten out of hands and is embarrassingly sore. Criminals are operating with impunity all over the country and unfortunately, our government appears to be so busy with the 2023 general election that it has no time for the unending killings in the country.
“What legacy is the government and those who are the managers of our security architecture leaving behind for the unborn generation? We are praying for the government and the security agencies to get it right before it will be too late.
“If the Federal government is not interested in the State Police, what efforts are being put in place to arrest this unpleasant situation? We call on the state governors to meet with the President to find a lasting solution to these killings. Issuing mere press statements of condemnations and what looks like empty threats is apparently not a way out of it.”
He extended condolences to all the bereaved, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) and the Ondo State Government.