Military authorities have arrested suspected masterminds of the attack and mass killings perpetuated at the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa, Owo, Ondo State.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor and the governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, separately confirmed the arrest of the suspected masterminds who killed over 40 worshippers in the attack carried out on 5 June, 2022.
The Chief of Defence Staff, while addressing the media in Abuja, today, on the activities of the military behind the scene, disclosed that the masterminds of dastardly killings.
He also said the arrested suspects have also revealed the people who are backing them up in organising the daring attacks on Nigeria and the people.
General Irabor said he would have loved to unveil the identities of the arrested suspected killers, but for an ongoing investigation on their activities.
He, however, assured he would still make their identities known to Nigerians, adding: “It was my intention to present them to the public but because of the investigation still going on, I had to change my mind.
“I will like to say that in due course, the world will see them and others who are behind other daring attacks in the country.”
Governor Akeredolu also confirmed the arrest of the suspected masterminds of the attack on St Francis Catholic Church, shortly after the CDS, General Lucky Irabor, made the announcement in Abuja.
The governor further disclosed that the owner of the house where the suspected masterminds stayed before the June 5 attack has also been arrested.
Akeredolu said his administration did not spare a moment in trailing the suspected masterminds, even after the horrendous attack on innocent worshipers at the Catholic Church.
As contained in a release by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, Arakunrin Akeredolu said this during a courtesy visit to his office by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by lPrince Leke Adegbite.
He said: “Now that the military has announced it, I can tell you that five of them have been arrested now. They are still on the trail of the rest.
“The home where they lodged in Owo and the person that accommodated them before the attack, has also been arrested. We did not spare a moment. I am happy that the Chief of Defence Staff has announced it.
“We have known for a while but we needed not to come out with it because more works are still ongoing. I can confirm that this arrest has been made. And they are still on the trail of some of them.”
Meanwhile, Governor Akeredolu has called on leaders of the Ebira Community in the state to warn their young ones not to copy the bad venture of kidnapping.
He said recent reports from victims of kidnap in the state have established that some Ebira indigenes are now involved in the unwholesome act.
He noted that the Ebiras have lived together with the people of the state peacefully for several decades, adding that they have always been supportive and hardworking.
“I want to use this medium to urge our brothers to concentrate on their farming trade. It will be unfortunate to know that the Ebiras in our midst are now involved in kidnapping.
“We are appealing to them not to copy bad thing. The traders selling by the road side should not become informants. We are not fighting them.
“We have seen their numbers, they supported and voted for us during elections. I will call their leaders and talk to them. Our brothers who were kidnapped on their way to Ikare, talk to them. They were taken to Ebira farmsteads.
“For me, we have lived together for too long for this to happen. I am ready to make any effort to ensure that the conviviality that we have enjoyed continues.
“But we are begging their leaders to urge them not to copy bad thing. They are in our midst , we are surrounded by them. The issue of security is key and it’s dynamic.” Governor Akeredolu noted.
