Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, (SAN) has confirmed the arrest of five suspects over the June 5, 2022 bloodbath at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo.
Akeredolu confirmed the suspects’ arrest after the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor made the announcement in Abuja.
He disclosed that the owner of the house where the attackers lodged before the June 5 attack in Owo was among those arrested
Akeredolu said: “Now that the military has announced it, I can tell you that five of them have been arrested. They are still on the trail of the rest. The home where they lodged in Owo and the person that accommodated them before the attack, has also been arrested.
“We did not spare a moment. I am happy that the Chief of Defence Staff has announced it. We have known for a while but we needed not to come out with it because more works are still ongoing. I can confirm that this arrest has been made. And they are still on the trail of some of them.”
And, Governor Akeredolu has also called on leaders of the Ebira community in the state to warn their young ones not to copy the criminal act of kidnapping going on in the state and nationwide.
He said recent reports from victims of kidnap in the state established that some Ebira indigenes were involved in the unwholesome act.
He noted that the Ebiras have lived together with the Ondo people peacefully for several decades, adding that they have always been supportive and hardworking.
Akeredolusaid: “I want to use this medium to urge our brothers to concentrate on their farming profession. It will be unfortunate to know that the Ebira in our midst are now involved in kidnapping. We are appealing to them not to copy bad things. The traders selling by the road side should not become informants.
“We are not fighting them. We have seen their numbers, they supported and voted for us during elections. I will call their leaders and talk to them. Our brothers who were kidnapped on their way to Ikare, talk to them. They were taken to Ebira farmsteads.
“For me, we have lived together for too long for this to happen. I am ready to make any effort to ensure that the conviviality that we have enjoyed continues. But we are begging their leaders to urge them not to copy bad thing. They are in our midst; we are surrounded by them. The issue of security is key and it is dynamic.”
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