An undecided number of people have been killed by gunmen during a Pentecostal service on Sunday, June 5, at a Catholic church in Nigeria, Pope Francis has expressed condolences. “Dozens of worshipers”.
The massacre takes place in the southwest of the country, which is usually avoided by jihadists and criminal gangs operating in other areas. “The Pope knew of the attack [survenue] Dozens of worshipers, including many children, died during a Pentecostal celebration at a church in Ondo, Nigeria.The Vatican Press Service responded in a statement. “As the details of the incident are clarified, Pope Francis prays for the victims and the nation, who suffered in agony during the celebration, and entrusts them to the Lord so that he sends his spirit to comfort them., He added.
Equilibrium to be determined
“It is still too early to say exactly how many people were killed. But many worshipers lost their lives and others were injured in the attack., State police spokesman Ibukun Odunlami told Agencies France-Presse (AFP). One witness, who gave only his first name, Abiomi, said at least 20 worshipers were killed in the attack. “As I was passing through the neighborhood, I heard a loud explosion and gunfire inside the church.”he said.
He said he saw at least five armed men inside the church before fleeing. In his statement, Ondo Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu called on security forces to find the attackers after the incident. “Despicable and Satanic Attack”. A state police spokesman said they attacked the church with guns and ammunition.
An area that has been preserved so far
The attack comes ahead of the ruling APC, which is set to begin its primary duties after former military chief Mohammed Buhari, who will step down after two terms in office ahead of the 2023 presidential election. Security is a major challenge in Africa’s most populous country, which is also the continent’s largest economy.
Attacks on religious sites are particularly sensitive in Nigeria, where tensions sometimes escalate between communities in a country mainly Christian in the south and mainly Muslims in the north. However, this type of attack is rare in the relatively quiet southwest of the country.
The Nigerian military, on the other hand, faces many scourges of insecurity in other parts of the country. A jihadi uprising has been raging in the North East for twelve years, with looters and kidnapping gangs terrorizing the Northwest and the Center, and is a scene of separatist movements in the South East.
Boko Haram, a jihadist group in the northeast of the country, has already targeted churches during a conflict that killed 40,000 people and displaced 2 million in Nigeria.
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