It is typical of every christian family in Nigeria to start their Sunday by going to church beautifully dressed, hence the phrase “sunday best”. This was the case for the martyrs of Saint Francis Catholic Church Owo, Ondo State; little did they know that 5th June 2022 was going to be their last day on earth.
Most people would argue that the church is one of the safest places on earth because, I mean, that is the house of the Almighty God. People battling with several challenges of life find solace in church, believing that when you are in church you are in the presence of God. Alas, some really terrible people dared to enter the House of God and killed parishioners who were there to worship.
It is really exasperating as this has become a regular occurrence in Nigeria. I wonder how the families of those who lost loved ones are coping; it must be very harrowing and traumatic at this time; that child who has suddenly become orphaned, the mental health of teenagers who witnessed their loved ones being murdered in cold blood.
Several celebrities have responded to the Owo killing, calling out the government for its seeming nonchalance regarding insecurity and advocating for citizens to vote in leaders who are visionary and value human life. @savvyrinu tweeted that “the president of this country didn’t summon security chiefs, instead he threw a banquet with his fellow politicians”. This just to show how much these guys care about us. If you ask me, I think they were celebrating the shooters for a job well done. @davido on his twitter page handed the matter over to Jesus by asking him to take control and also asking that prayers be made on behalf of the victims. For how long are we going to pray? @falzthebahdguy in his tweet highlighted how so much of a mess Nigeria is. I couldn’t agree more. @mrmacaroni took to his twitter handle to say that “the Nigerian survival mentality is not a blessing but a curse”.
We have often heard of the saying not to be in the wrong place at the wrong time but these people were at the right place at the right time. “If these people did not go to church they would still be alive”; this is unfortunately true. @aprokodoctor tweeted “ You can do everything right, follow all the recommendations, safety precautions and still lose your life. Today is one of the days being a Nigerian saddens me”. I would like to conclude by quoting @drjoeabah’s tweet “The State should not be powerless against terrorism though praying that they go to hell is one thing but Putin is reputed to have said “To forgive the terrorists is up to God, but to send them there is up to me”. The roles of God and the state should be clear to the State”.
