The Arewa Consultative Forum has condemned the terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State, in which scores were killed while several others worshippers sustained injuries on Sunday.
This was contained in a statement by the Secretary-General of the ACF, Murtala Aliyu, issued in Kaduna on Wednesday.
The ACF described the attack as an unimaginable erosion of inhumanity enveloping the nation, and aimed at setting peace-loving people against each other.
The group said the perpetrators of the dastardly act must be brought to book, noting that there should be no excuse linking “such dastardly act to only unknown gunmen, as we live and dine with the perpetrators in our communities.”
The northern body also urged security operatives to pay attention to securing the lives and property of Nigerians, adding that “a loss of a human life is a loss of a nation.”
The statement titled, ‘Owo Killing – An eroded humanity,’ said, “ACF is shocked 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 town of Ondo State, on a first service week, ushering the month of June, could best be described as an unimaginable erosion of inhumanity enveloping the nation.
“The ACF frowns at such an animalistic attack on a peace-loving community in which scores of lives were lost, with others battling for their lives in the hospitals.
“These attacks 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 for linking such dastardly act to only unknown gunmen, as we live and dine with the perpetrators in our communities.
The ACF also condemned similar killings which took place in mosques in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Kaduna states, in the North-West and Borno and Yobe states in the North-East.
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