Owo Attack: How miscreants stole valuables from dead bodies – Catechist

Owo Attack: How miscreants stole valuables from dead bodies – Catechist

"They were stealing money, phones, and purses of dead victims. I caught one of them, I wanted to arrest him but I just left him there."

Shortly after the gunmen who killed worshippers at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, left, miscreants poured into the church removing valuables from the victims and stealing money from the offering box, the church’s catechist has said.

Jonatus Awolo, the catechist, who escaped during the attack, said that the shooting lasted for over 30 minutes, and started when worshippers were marking the Feast of Pentecost.

He said thugs, believed to be members of the community, searched the bodies of the dead and went away with their belongings.

“Some people came inside the church after the perpetrators left,” said Mr Awolo.

“It was some area boys in the street because after I escaped the gunshot, I came back again to check the situation of things after the perpetrators left. When I got back, I saw some people inside the sacristy, some boys were inside the sacristy, some of them were searching everywhere.”

Gunmen stormed the church on Sunday morning, opened fire on the congregation and also detonated explosives as the worshippers scampered for safety.

At least 70 people were killed and injured, according to Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, the lawmaker representing Owo Constituency I, who visited the scene shortly after the attack.

Police said the gunmen got to the church at about 11.30 a.m.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the assailants approached the church during the service, started shooting from outside the church while others numbering about four shot directly into the church,” police said in a statement.

While many of the injured victims were taken to the Federal Medical Center, Owo, for treatment, the dead bodies were deposited at different morgues in the state.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who visited the scene of the attack, directed that flags be flown at half-mast in the state for seven days.

On Monday, traders at the popular Oja Oba Market in the community locked their shops to mourn the victims of the attack.

Mr Awolo said the miscreants who rushed to the church after the attack were picking money from the scene.

Market women displaying their grieviance inside the premises of Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owo

Market women displaying their grieviance inside the premises of Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owo

“Even when the box of the collection of money was scattered on the floor, people were just picking money,” he said.

“The money is not what I am talking about, I am talking about the dead that are on the ground. People were picking items from the victims, even my phone was also missing, I cannot find my phone and the charger till this moment.

“They were stealing money, phones, and purse of dead victims. I caught one of them, I wanted to arrest him but I just left him there. Imagine. There are many people that are bad-hearted than those perpetrators. Stealing from dead bodies.”