24
May
May
BANDITS THREATEN FRESH ATTACK ON OWO CATHOLIC CHURCH, TENSION GRIPS COMMUNITY
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CapitalTimesNews / 1 month
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- 2 min read
Three years after a deadly attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, bandits have threatened to launch a fresh attack on the church. The anonymous assailants, in a letter addressed to the church, vowed to carry out a strike “soon”, with no specific timeline stipulated. The threat has sent tension soaring in the ancient community, which is still reeling from the June 5, 2022, Pentecost Sunday attack, where gunmen stormed the church, killing 41 worshippers and injuring 69 others. Concerned about the development, the community led by its traditional ruler, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbigbi Ogunoye III, has convened a security summit to address the rising insecurity in the area. According to the summit’s publicity secretary, Mr Bosun Oladimeji, the maiden edition of the Owo Security Summit will be held next week. The summit, themed “Securing Owo and its Environs: Strategies for Community Safety and Resilience”, aims to raise awareness about community security, foster cooperation between residents and law enforcement, reduce crime, and propose sustainable security initiatives. A key objective of the summit is to establish a Security Trust Fund to support long-term efforts. Oladimeji said the summit will provide a platform for stakeholders to come together and find solutions to the security challenges facing the community. The community is still grappling with the trauma of the 2022 attack, and the recent threat has heightened fears of another attack.
