Catholic Church Attack: ISWAP Terrorists Responsible for Killings, Says National Security Council

The Federal government has said  the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād is responsible for the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after the National Security Council meeting in Abuja.

Gunmen had on Sunday attacked the church located on Owa-Luwa Street in Owo leaving many parishioners dead and several others injured.

Aregbesola said that security agencies, particularly the police, had been directed to apprehend the terrorists.

The minister equally noted that the attack had no ethnic-religious connection as he asserted ISWAP activity was unrelated to any religious doctrines.

The minister stated that the council was also worried about killings in the name of blasphemy and had directed the security agencies to go after perpetrators of both incidents that occurred in Sokoto State and Abuja recently.

He added that enough security measures have been put in place ahead of the Ekiti State gubernatorial election taking place on June 18, 2022.