Nigeria: Many dead in attack on Pentecost mass

Scores of people have died in an attack on a Catholic church in the town of Owo. The background is still unclear. The exact number of victims is not yet known.

According to the authorities, numerous people were killed and injured in an attack with weapons and explosives on a Pentecost service in Nigeria. A police spokeswoman said several attackers broke into the Catholic church in the town of Owo in the southwestern state of Ondo on Sunday morning and were able to escape after the attack. At first, no one claimed responsibility at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo.

Attacks by jihadists and criminal gangs occur again and again in Nigeria, but not in the south-west of the country that is now affected. The police spokeswoman said it was “too early” to give the exact number of dead from the gunshots and explosive devices: “But many churchgoers lost their lives, while others were injured.” The Ondo government also said it could not yet give an official number of victims.

Pope wants to pray for victims

An eyewitness, who identified himself by the name Abayomi, told the AFP news agency that at least 20 people had been killed. Before he ran away, he saw at least five attackers, the man reported.

In a statement, Pope Francis spoke of the “death of dozens of believers”, including many children. While the exact circumstances of the crime were being clarified, he prayed “for the victims and for the country”. Nigeria’s head of state Muhammadu Buhari condemned the “heinous murder of believers”. Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu said a “vile and satanic attack” had taken place in Owo.

In Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, the south is dominated by Christianity, while the north is predominantly Muslim. The army has been fighting a jihadist insurgency in the north-east of the country for twelve years. North-West Nigeria is being destabilized by criminal gangs, which are increasingly raiding villages and carrying out mass hostage-takings in towns and schools. Separatists are also active in the southeast of the country.