The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, has called on government to intensify efforts to hunt down the attackers of St. Francis Xavier Church, Owo, Ondo State, and bring them to book.
The Bishops warned that failure to do so will accelerate the country’s descent to anarchy.
The President of CBCN and Archbishop-Elect of Owerri, Most Revd Lucius Ugorji, made the call on Sunday night while reacting to the dastardly act which claimed no fewer than 25 lives
He said, “I received the news of the bloody attack unleashed on innocent worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church Owo in the Diocese of Ondo on Pentecost Sunday with great shock and sadness. No where seems to be safe again in our country; not even the sacred precincts of a Church.
“We condemn in the strongest term the spilling of innocent blood in the House of God. The criminals responsible for such a sacrilegious and barbaric act demonstrate their lack of the sense of the sacred and the fear of the God.
“We call on government to hunt them down and bring them to book. If government fails to act decisively on such a grave matter, it would be encouraging the decent of anarchy on our nation.
“It should rise to its primary responsibility of securing the life and property of its citizens. The world is watching us! Above all, God is also watching us.
“At this dark and trying time, we commiserate with the Diocese of Ondo and implore God to grant eternal rest to the dead, speedy recovery to the wounded and consolation to families mourning the death of their beloved ones.”
