ABUJA: Gunmen assaulted a Catholic church in Nigeria’s Ondo state during mass on Sunday, killing at least 50 people and injuring many more, according to a doctor and local media.
A doctor at a hospital in Owo, a town in the state of southwest Nigeria, stated 50 bodies had been taken to the FMC (Federal Medical Centre) in Owo and St. Louis Catholic Hospital.
The attack was condemned by President Muhammadu Buhari, who described it as “heinous.” The assailants’ identity and motivation were not immediately known.
Gunmen opened fire on worshippers and detonated explosives at the church, according to local media. Women and children were among those killed.
The police spokeswoman for Ondo state, Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, confirmed simply that there had been an incident at the Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo and that police would publish a more detailed statement soon.
Armed gangs have attacked and kidnapped for ransom in Africa’s most populous country, especially in the northwest. In southwestern Nigeria, such attacks are uncommon.
Following the incident, Ondo state governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu cut short a trip to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and returned to Ondo.
