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.
The decision, according to a statement released by the Catholic Diocese of Ondo’s Bishop, Most Rev. Jude Ayodeji Arogundade, was a watershed moment in the fight for justice on behalf of the victims of one of the worst assaults on a Nigerian house of worship in recent memory.
In the fight for fairness and responsibility, the court’s decision on June 3, 2026, is a watershed moment.
“The judgement affirms an important principle: that human life is sacred and that those who commit acts of terror against innocent people must be held accountable under the law,” the Bishop said, adding that no legal decision can restore the lives that were lost or erase the pain suffered by families and survivors.
The judge, Arogundade said, was very careful in its handling of the case, and he also gave credit to the police, investigators, and prosecutors for their work in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
According to him, the verdict shows that the victims’ pain has not been disregarded and brings some solace to their bereaved 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.
Through memorial initiatives, scholarship programs, empowerment projects, pastoral care, and prayers, he assured afflicted families that the Diocese would continue to support them.
Calls for continued vigilance in defending lives and places of worship across the country were reinforced by Arogundade as the fourth anniversary of the incident drew near. He addressed the government, security agencies, community leaders, and residents.