Apex northern sociocultural group, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has expressed shock over what it considers as the most barbaric and implacable human act, in the recent time, the killing of innocent worshippers, at St. Francis Catholic Church, in Owo, Ondo State.
ACF in statement issued by its secretary-general, Murtala Aliyu, described the unwarranted killings as an unimaginable erosion of inhumanity enveloping the nation.
“The ACF frowned at such animalistic attack on a peace-loving community, in which scores of lives were lost, with others battling for their lives in the hospitals,” he said.
It recalled that similar killings in time past also took place in a mosques in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Kaduna states, in the North West and Borno and Yobe states in the North East, adding that the attack of worship centres are aimed at setting our dear peace-loving people against each other.
“The Arewa Consultative Forum will, strongly, appreciate all efforts be put in bringing the culprits to book. The forum shall not take any excuse of linking such dastardly act to only unknown gunmen, as we live and dine with the perpetrators in our communities.
“It is, no more, acceptable to allow such inexorable killings happening without an inkling of an intelligence report that could nib that in the bud. Let our security operatives pay the necessary attentions in saving Nigeria of viable lives” stressing that, “a loss of a human life is a loss of a nation”.
The ACF, therefore, sends its condolence messages to the Ondo State Government, the Owo Community and the immediate and extended families of the deceased, while praying for the quick recovery of the injured.