At least 35 killed in ‘satanic’ attack on Catholic church in Nigeria, officials say

An explosion and attackers armed with weapons killed dozens of individuals and injured many extra on the St. Francis Catholic Church in Nigeria’s Ondo State on Sunday, authorities officers reported.

At the very least 50 individuals, together with a number of kids, had been killed within the assault, The Related Press reported, citing native officers.

The explosion occurred exterior the church throughout Mass celebrating Pentecost Sunday, adopted by gunmen storming the church and taking pictures sporadically, officers stated. The assailants additionally killed passersby who had been hit by stray bullets.

Nigerian authorities vowed to “hunt” the gunmen down and “make them pay,” Governor of Nigeria’s Ondo State Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu stated in a press release.

Akeredolu is “shocked” and “deeply saddened by the unprovoked assault and killing of harmless individuals,” in keeping with the assertion.

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“The vile and satanic assault is a calculated assault on the peace-loving individuals of Owo Kingdom who’ve loved relative peace over time,” he stated. “It’s a black Sunday in Owo. Our hearts are heavy. Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the individuals. This can be a private loss, an assault on our expensive state.”
State safety businesses have been deployed to the neighborhood, in keeping with a press release by the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, Nigeria. Monks and bishops within the parish have are protected, the diocese stated.

Akeredolu will journey to Ondo State within the coming days, he stated, urging the neighborhood to stay “calm and vigilant.”

“We will by no means bow to the machinations of heartless components in our resolves to rid our state of criminals,” he stated.

ABC Information’ James Bwala contributed to this report.