Judgement handed out by the Federal High Court in Abuja on the attackers of the terrorist attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo on June 5, 2022, has been greeted by the Catholic Diocese of Ondo as a monumental stride toward retribution and responsibility.
According to a statement released by the Catholic Diocese of Ondo’s Bishop, Most Rev. Jude Ayodeji Arogundade, the verdict represents a significant step forward in the fight for justice for the victims of a devastating attack on a Nigerian house of worship.
In the fight for fairness and responsibility, the court’s decision on June 3, 2026, is a watershed moment.
“Although no court ruling can bring back the lives lost or alleviate the anguish endured by survivors and their families, the judgement upholds a fundamental principle: the sanctity of human life and the necessity of holding individuals responsible for terror attacks against defenceless civilians to account,” the Bishop stated.
Judges, Arogundade said, were very thorough in their handling of the case, and he also gave credit to the security forces, detectives, and prosecutors for their work in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
His words: “The victims’ pain has not been forgotten,” and the verdict should bring some solace to their mourning families.
Nevertheless, the bishop emphasised that Christians should not be led astray by the ideals of truth, kindness, peace, and reconciliation, and that justice should not be mistaken with vengeance.
The Diocese would continue to support afflicted families through memorial activities, scholarship programs, empowerment projects, pastoral care, and prayers, he promised them.
Arogundade has urged the government, security services, community leaders, and individuals to maintain a state of heightened vigilance in safeguarding lives and houses of worship nationwide as the fourth anniversary of the incident draws near.