A total of 41 severely injured victims of the savage attack at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo are battling for survival at the Federal Medical Centre, in the jolted community.
Investigation conducted by the Network revealed that the 41 injured comprised 17 female, 11 male and 13 children including two who died.
The source said that it is difficult to give a definite figure of the death as there is the painful possibility that some of the seriously injured may die,
The source said, “so many people died in the attack. Some have put the figure of the dead at over 50.
“However, what I can tell you is that 41 were admitted and we are treating them. We have 17 females, 11 males and 13 children. Sadly two children died.
Meanwhile the Police Public Relations Officer, in charge of the Ondo State SP Odunlami Funmilayo, has said that the police had commenced investigation into the heartbreaking crime.
Today, Sunday 5th June, 2022 at about 11:30am, while the Church service was ongoing, some armed men invaded the church and attacked members of the church, where some lives were lost and some sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the assailants approached the church during the service, started shooting from outside the church while others numbering about four (4) shot directly into the church.
The CP while commiserating with the Church, family of the deceased, the People of Owo and Ondo State Government, has ordered immediate deployment of Armed and Specialised Policemen to the area to restore normalcy and fortify the entire community.
Meanwhile, the CP has equally ordered Forensic Investigation into the attack to ascertain the actual or remote cause(s) of the attack and for immediate arrest of the assailants as all hands are deck to forestall any similar attack in any part of the state.