Police Command Releases Preliminary Findings On Attack Of Ondo Catholic Church

The Police High Command on Monday released outcome of its pleminary findings on the gruesome murder of innocent Nigerians by gunmen in an attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa in Owo, Ondo State on Sunday during which several lives were lost and several other sustained various degree of injuries.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

According to the statement, “the gunmen, from preliminary investigations, invaded the church with arms and materials suspected to be explosives.

“Police investigators who were part of the First Responders deployed to the scene have recovered pellets of expended AK-47 ammunition while the Explosive Ordnance Devices – Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Explosives (EOD-CBRNE) unit confirmed the use of Explosives as fragments of the IEDs used were found and after thorough sweeping of the scene, three unexploded IEDs were recovered at the scene of the incident.”

It added that “further investigations revealed that some of the gunmen disguised as congregants, while other armed men who had positioned themselves around the church premises from different directions, fired into the church.

“The assailants fled the scene using a Nissan Sunny car with Reg No. AKR 895 AG which was snatched from the owner, and escaped through Owo/Ute road.

“The vehicle has been recovered while the owner of the vehicle is currently assisting the Police in its investigations.”

The statement stated that following this development, “the IGP, Usaman Alkali Baba, has ordered full-scale investigations into the incident in order to bring to book the perpetrators of the gruesome killing of the worshippers at the church.”

It added that the IGP also ordered the deployment of specialized operatives of the Police EOD-CBRNE, police experts, and other tactical units from the Force Headquarters for a comprehensive investigation, and for immediate interception of the villians.

It further explained that the Police boss while condemning the dastardly act consoled with the Ondo State Government, family members, relatives, and friends of the victims who lost their lives in the unfortunate attack and assured that the heartless killers of the harmless victims, particularly innocent children, would be made to face the full wrath of the law, while the Force would emplace strategies to forestall similar future occurrences