The remains of the 44 victims of the attack on the St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State were on Friday committed to the mother’s earth.
Okay.ng has learned that the mass burial was organized by the Catholic diocese of Ondo, in collaboration with the Ondo state government.
The Governor of the State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu; his wife, Betty; the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye; and former Governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko among other top dignitaries of the state were present at the funeral service.
Catholic clerics including Archbishop of Ibadan archdiocese, Most Rev Leke Abegunrin; Bishop of the diocese of Sokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukah; Bishop of Oyo diocese, Leke Badejo; and those of Osogbo, Ado-Ekiti, Abeokuta, ijebu-Ode and other dioceses of the church in the South West were present at the occasion.
Bishop Leke Badejo, Catholic Bishop of Oyo diocese,
said during his sermon that though the victims were dead, they remain saved in the hands of Jesus, their saviour.
He stressed the need for all Christians to embrace self defense, which he said it’s allowed in the doctrine of the Catholic Church, as according to him the government can no longer provide the needed security for the citizenry.
He further called on the Federal Government to wake up from its slumber, just as he asked rhetorically if lives still have value to the Federal Government.
Gov. Akeredolu on his own part accepted the failure on part of the Government to defend its people.
we have failed, we have failed. We have really failed you.”
“Not that we are not trying as a government, but the forces of the other side has overpowered us. The forces of the other side have proved that we have not done anything. However, we shall not allow the situation to continue.” The Governor had said.
