Following the demolition of the cenotaph built to immortalise and honour victims of the St Francis Xavier Catholic Church massacre in Owo, Ondo State, worshippers brutally killed by gunmen in 2022, Richard Olatunde, former Chief Press Secretary to the late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has said the action will reopen old wounds in the hearts of the victims’ families.
Olatunde, who decried the demolition, revealed that the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, was duly informed of the siting of the memorial park at the location, after which he gave his approval.
The monument was demolished with a bulldozer over the weekend on the order of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following complaints from the Olowo over the proximity of the cenotaph to the palace, which he described as inappropriate in respect of tradition.
According to the former Akeredolu aide, the park merely symbolised those who lost their lives in the horrific incident of June 2022, as no single body was buried at the cenotaph; only the names of the victims were inscribed.
While emphasising that the state government ought to have exercised caution in the demolition of the park, Olatunde stressed that his late boss never played politics with the incident, maintaining that the late Akeredolu acted solely on what was believed to be necessary and appropriate.
“It is sad that some government appointees are now injecting political undertones into this matter. This is very unfortunate. The late Governor Akeredolu responded to the tragedy of June 5, 2022, with courage and resolve, doing what any responsible and responsive leader would do anywhere in the world. This demolition cannot erase his gallant efforts.
“We will continue to remember the victims of the Owo massacre. They are martyrs who died serving God. May God continue to grant their souls eternal repose,” he said.
Over 40 worshippers were killed and scores injured when armed assailants brutally attacked the church during morning Mass on June 5, 2022.
