The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has described the Sunday attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, in Owo town of Ondo State, which claimed 40 lives as “animalistic”.
The ACF in a statement issued by its Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu, stated that it was shocked over the attack, which it considered the “most barbaric and implacable human act, in recent time.”
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The forum recalled that similar killings had taken place in mosques in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Kaduna States in the North West, and Borno and Yobe states in the North East.
The ACF said the attacks on worship centres were aimed at setting peace-loving people against one another.
“The killing of innocent worshippers, at St. Francis Catholic Church, in Owo Town of Ondo State, on a first service week, ushering the month of June, could, best, be described as an unimaginable erosion of inhumanity enveloping the nation,” the statement said.
The ACF said it would appreciate all efforts to arrest and prosecute the culprits, and would not take any excuse for linking the act to only unknown gunmen.
“It is no more acceptable to allow such inexorable killings happening without an inkling of an intelligence report that could nip that in the bud.
“Let our security operatives pay the necessary attention to saving Nigeria of viable lives. A loss of human life is a loss of a nation,” it stated.
The ACF condoled with the Ondo State government, the Owo community and the immediate and extended families of the deceased while praying for the quick recovery of the injured.
