The attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo Kingdom, in Ondo State that left many killed and injured shows “criminals are migrating to other areas in the country,” said Oludayo Tade, a criminologist in the Department of Sociology at the University of Ibadan.
Some unknown gunmen were said to have invaded the church in the sleepy town of Owo on Sunday and opened fire on worshippers.
President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the attack, saying only fiends from the nether region could have conceived and carried out such a dastardly act.
“No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome the light. Nigeria will eventually win,” he said.
Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo State, said in a statement that his administration would do everything humanly possible to hunt down the perpetrators of the crime.
He said: “The vile and satanic attack is a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom who have enjoyed relative peace over the years.
“It is a black Sunday in Owo. Our hearts are heavy. Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people. This is a personal loss, an attack on our dear state. I have had to cut short my party’s national assignment in Abuja and visit Owo immediately.
“This is an unexpected development. I am shocked to say the least. Nevertheless, we shall commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay. We shall never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in our resolves to rid our state of criminals.
Akeredolu commiserated with people in Owo, particularly families of those who lost their lives, extended his condolences to Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye, as well as the Catholic Church.
Tade, the criminology, said the killings must go beyond condemnation from the governors and the federal government.
He said the South-West must rework its internal security framework and protect its borders.
“That policemen claimed not to have security vehicle to mobilise to the scene on time shows the fundamental logistics issues confronting police and policing in Nigeria despite increasing security budget,” he said.
Read also: Owo attack: We will hunt down perpetrators- Akeredolu
He said victims of the crime must be assisted by the government while the criminals behind the attacks must be tracked, arrested and prosecuted.
He said: “We cannot continue to compromise the safety of lives of Nigerians while criminals have field day. Citizens must be protected to have trust in government. When people are not secured, they will run away from their places of residence, employ self-help or become captured by criminals.
“With 2023 around the corner, weapons and ammunitions are being moved. And criminals are also migrating to other areas in the country including the southwest. We cannot afford to compromise our zone. The government of Nigeria must protect Nigerians but southwest governors must protect their zone from security threats and terror attacks.”
Tade said the attack had caused a health emergency in Owo, adding: “Emergency response system is poor and this incident will also expose our health infrastructure deficit. What have people benefitted from government? A government that cannot provide security, health, power and quality infrastructure for her people has failed.
“Southwest must stand up and protect her people, a successful attack in Owo can influence attacks elsewhere in the zone due to their proximity. We must clear bushes on highways and communities and ask questions from new faces.”
