Nigeria: Pentecost Sunday murders

Gunmen burst into St Francis Catholic Church in Ondo state. They opened fire and set off explosives, killing dozens of worshippers, including many children, who were celebrating Mass on Pentecost Sunday. Legislator Adelegbe Timileyin told local media that at least fifty people were dead. While much of Nigeria has struggled with security issues, Ondo is widely known as one of the country’s most peaceful states. Its state governor said, ‘This vile and satanic attack is a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom. I appeal to our people to maintain calm and let the security agencies take charge. The perpetrators will never escape. We are after them. And I can assure you we will get them.’ While radical Fulani militants have terrorised the Middle Belt region over the past two decades, authorities are still investigating the source of Sunday’s attack.

Pray: for peace and tranquillity to return to the region as God’s presence fills the atmosphere, bringing comfort to the bereaved and fearful and healing to those wounded in body and spirit. (Matthew 5:4)

More: www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/5/worshippers-killed-during-church-service-in-nigeria