Catholic Bishop charges defence chief, Irabor, to produce arrested Owo massacre suspects

The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Most Revd Felix Ajakaye, has charged the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, to give Nigerians an update on arrested suspects in the attack on the St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, on June 5th, 2022.

The Bishop who made the call in a statement on Tuesday to commemorate the one-year remembrance of the incident where over 40 worshippers were killed, said that it was pertinent for the church and Nigerians to know what happened to the arrested suspects and their whereabouts if they were truly arrested as the authorities claimed.

“There was outright condemnation within and outside Nigeria against the evil and unprovoked attack,” Bishop Ajakaye said.

“Typical of the then President Muhammadu Buhari Government, it commiserated with the Church, Ondo State and the people concerned, and it promised to arrest the culprits.

Read also: DHQ arrests two more ISWAP commanders over Owo church massacre

“Really, the government was widely known of its promise of always being ‘on top of the situation’, though it was never seen to be on top of the action.

“Surprisingly, a few months after the attack, addressing a World Press Conference, General Lucky Irabor, the Chief Defence Staff, informed the world that arrests had been made regarding the Sunday attack at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

“Unfortunately, to date, exactly one year after, we have not heard anything again from the Army General. Now, a question for the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor.

“Please, Sir, when shall we be lucky to know what has become of the people you told Nigerians and the whole world were arrested due to their involvement in the massacre of the over 41 people and scores of people seriously injured during the Church attack of the worshippers by such people in Owo on 5 June 2023?

“Until an answer is given, we shall keep asking the question. Remember, the cases of the Chibok girls, Leah Sharibu and others are still there,” the Bishop said.

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