The Federal Government of Nigeria on Thursday said that Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is responsible for the bloody June 5 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State that led to the death of about 38 persons.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said this on Thursday while briefing the State House correspondents at the end of Security Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari,
He said, “We have been able to locate the perpetrators of that event or that sad horrendous attack, from all indications… we we are zeroing in on ISWAP, the Islamic State for west Africa.”
Aregbesola noted that the attack has no ethnic-religious link.
He said that security agencies have been directed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
He said the council is also concerned about the killings in the country “in the name of blasphemy” and that security agencies have been directed to go after the perpetrators of the Sokoto and Abuja recent incidents.
On Wednesday, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State said that 40 people have now died from the Owo attack while 61 are on admission receiving treatment.
“The figure I have now shows that 127 persons were involved and that the number of death now is 40. On admission receiving treatment, we have 61. Twenty-six have been discharged,” Akeredolu said when he hosted Catholic Bishops from the South-West led by Most Reverend Leke Abegunrin.
“Those are the figures we have now from the Commissioner for Health. So, the government is not hiding anything.”
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.