Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa has commended the judiciary and the security agencies for securing the conviction and death sentence of the four suspects responsible for the June 5, 2022, terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.
Similarly, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye expressed delight over the development, saying justice had been served.
No fewer than 41 worshippers of the Catholic church were killed while many were injured by the terrorists after the Sunday mass on the fateful day.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Wednesday, the governor described the court verdict as a “victory for justice, the rule of law, and for all victims of the heinous attack that claimed the lives of innocent worshippers and left many others injured.”
The governor said: “The diligence of the prosecution team, the thoroughness of investigators, and the courage of the judiciary have shown that our government will not tolerate acts of terror or violence against its people.
“This judgment sends a clear message that those who take innocent lives will face the full weight of the law, no matter how long it takes.”
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Aiyedatiwa expressed appreciation to the people of Owo and the Catholic community, who, according to him, despite the trauma, have remained steadfast and committed to peace.
In the same vein, while commending the judiciary, Oba Ogunoye urged the government and security agencies to further look into the matter to arrest and further prosecute whoever also had involvement in the massacre directly or indirectly.
“I think we’re happy that finally those accused, four out of five have been convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. I would say to a large extent, it is justice served. I think this would be a great relief to the people of our area particularly, and to Nigerians generally, over what happened at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo.
“I must thank the Federal Government, particularly the DSS, for their efforts towards diligent prosecution of the accused, now the convicted, and the judiciary for living up to expectations of our people. If cases like this had been properly handled in the past, and accused persons were consistently convicted in respect of kidnapping and related offences, Nigeria would, to a large extent, have significantly reduced the wave of kidnapping and insecurity across the country,” Oba Ogunoye said.
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