London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 08, 2025

Nigeria: town mourns more than 50 people shot dead in church during mass

Nigeria: town mourns more than 50 people shot dead in church during mass

Witnesses describe how attackers detonated explosives and shot at those who tried to flee
Workers cleared the pools of blood and pieces of broken pews at the Saint Francis Catholic church in south-west Nigeria on Monday, as the local community mourned more than 50 parishioners shot dead in the final moments of mass a day earlier.

No one has claimed responsibility for the killings, and Nigeria’s authorities and the police have not named any suspects.

But new details of the brazen attack emerged on Monday, as authorities and witnesses described how the unidentified assailants detonated explosives and opened fire through the windows as the ceremony ended, before entering the church and shooting at those who tried to flee from two of three exits. The attack lasted for about 20 minutes and left scores wounded.

Steven Omotayo, who lives near the church, rushed to the scene when he heard the gunshots. “I saw a lot of dead bodies – both young and old, even children,” he said.

The Catholic bishop of Ondo state, Jude Ayodeji Arogundade, also rushed to the church after the attack. “It was beyond what I ever imagined. A lot of bodies right there in the church, blood-soaked bodies,” he told local broadcaster, AIT television.

At a nearby hospital scores of wounded people, some being comforted by their families, were being treated in threadbare hospital conditions, many laying in blood-soaked bandages. Alex Michael was shot in the leg while protecting his children. “Immediately they entered and started firing everywhere, so many people,” he told Reuters.

One doctor told the AP: “Even as a physician, I have attended to a good number of casualties but what I saw yesterday was far beyond whatever I have seen before in my life.”

Pope Francis and other world leaders expressed horror and sympathy. Ondo state governor Arakunrin Akeredolu said on Monday that flags in the state would be flown at half-mast for a week. Nigerian government officials, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, have condemned the killings. “No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome light. Nigeria will eventually win,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Yet many in Nigeria are tired of waiting. Owo, a relatively peaceful town, is now the latest site of a mass killing or major attack – such events are occurring frequently, as multiple security crises overwhelm the country’s security agencies. About 3,000 people were killed by armed groups in Nigeria in the first three months of 2022, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. State police commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran said security forces, including the military, pursued the attackers, “but unfortunately, we could not catch up with them”.

Some residents and lawmakers said they believed the attack was carried out by ethnic Fulani terrorists, sometimes known as bandits, who have staged relentless attacks predominantly in northern Nigeria but also in other parts of the country.

The groups emerged from a historical conflict between pastoralists and local communities over access to land and encroachments on private farms, and have carried out mass killings and kidnappings, exploiting a lack of rural security across the country.

Adeyemi Olayemi, a lawmaker in Ondo, said the atrocity was probably “a reprisal” in retaliation for recent restrictions by the state government on grazing in Ondo, including in forests where the assailants have carried out attacks. The restrictions were adopted after an increase in kidnappings in the state and reports of attacks and cattle encroachments on private farms.

Yet a rise in violence by various heavily armed groups, including jihadists who are increasingly active in north-west and central Nigeria, have added to the uncertainty and fears that multiple actors could be responsible.
Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
My guess is someone who has Mohammed in his name. You know the same Mohammeds the western world is welcoming into their countries. There are parts of western cities that non Mohammeds can not enter. Nice. thank your leaders

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
×