Masterminds of Owo Church attack captured- CDS

By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan with agency report

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, says the masterminds of the 5 June massacre in Owo, orOndo State, have been captured by security operatives.

No fewer than 40 worshippers were massacred at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, in an incident that jolted Nigeria and the global community.

Scores of other worshippers also sustained varying degrees of injuries in the tragic incident.

Speaking at a parley with media executives at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Irabor said the terrorists were captured at different locations across the country.

He said the suspects, the majority of whom were arrested in various communities in Kogi State, would be paraded before the public in due course.

“We had wanted to present the suspects to the public immediately but couldn’t because certain investigations are still being carried out,” he said.

He assured that in due course, the suspects and others who had been involved in some daring attacks in the past few months would be presented to the public.

“Starting with the Owo church attack, it is my pleasure to let you know that we have arrested those behind that dastardly act.

“On August 7, one Idris Ojo (37) was apprehended at Aiyetorosi in Ondo State. He was one of the high-profile Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) members that escaped from Kuje Prison.

“He was arrested along with one Jimoh Ibrahim, a 39-year-old criminal.

“Ojo was not done with all the criminal activities which he undertook in the past, he was also planning other deadly attacks and he was perfecting those plans along with his cronies before he was captured,” he said.n

“Again, on August 4, the military in a combined operation with the Department of State Service (DSS) arrested four terrorists at Eika in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

“Others are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, otherwise known as Ibn Malik; Momoh Abubakar, Aliyu Itopa and Auwal Onimisi.

“Now, Omeiza is one of the masterminds of the June 5 Catholic Church attack in Owo as well as the attack on the police station in Adavi also in Kogi State that led to the killing of a policeman as well as weapons being carried away,” the CDS said.

On the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, General Irabor said that although some victims had been released, the military and other security agencies remained committed to ensuring the safe rescue of the remaining victims in captivity.

He said the military had intensified both air and ground operations to deal with criminals in all parts of the country, adding that several successes had been recorded in recent times.

Irabor disclosed that based on military air operations, the military on 6 August killed one Alhaji Abdulkareen, a bandits’ leader along with his fighters in Nigeria’s North-west.

“By the deeds of the surgical air operations that we have conducted, many of the bandits’ leaders have been killed,” he added.

The CDS said the essence of the parley was to solicit understanding and support from the media in the fight against the security challenges bedevilling the nation.

He, however, called for greater cooperation between the military and the media with a view to finding solutions to the security challenges and disallowing enemies from stoking fears in the minds of the public.

The defence chief also urged Nigerians and political leaders to understand the distinction between military operations and politics, adding that the military remained undaunted in ensuring a safe and secured nation.

Earlier, the Director, Defence Information, Jimmy Akpor, a major general, said the essence of the parley was to build a sustainable trust between the media and members of the armed forces.

Mr Akpor said the meeting was in line with the leadership focus of Mr Irabor toward fostering professional armed forces capable of meeting constitutional imperatives.

The Chief Executive Officer of The Media Today, Charles Odenigbo, said the military and media must be frank and open to each other in ensuring peace and security in the country.

Mr Odenigbo, the facilitator of the event, said that although military operations could not be discussed in the open, there was a need to see how the media could fit into the activities of the military.

Meanwhile, Ondo State governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has confirmed the arrest of the attackers of St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

The governor confirmed the arrest shortly after the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, made the announcement in Abuja.

Governor Akeredolu further disclosed that the owner of the house where the attackers stayed before the June 5 attack in Owo had also been arrested.

He noted that government did not spare a moment in trailing the terrorists since the horrendous attacks on innocent worshipers at the church located in Owaluwa, Owo.

According to a statement made available to journalists by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Richard Olatunde, Arakunrin Akeredolu spoke during a courtesy visit to his office by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by the chairman of the state council, Prince Leke Adegbite.

“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. As of the home where they were lodged in Owo, 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,” he said.

Governor Akeredolu also called on leaders of the Ebira community in the state to warn their young ones not to copy “the bad venture of kidnapping.”

The governor said recent reports from victims of kidnap in the state had established that some Ebira indigenes were now involved in “the unwholesome act.”

He noted that the Ebira had lived together with the people of the state peacefully for many decades, adding that they had always been supportive and hardworking.

“I want to use this medium to urge our brothers to concentrate on their farming trade. 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 a bad thing. The traders selling by the roadside should not become informants. We are not fighting them.

“We have seen their number; 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 talked 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 things.

“They are in our midst; we are surrounded by them. The issue of security is key; and it is dynamic,” Akeredolu said.

The governor, who thanked the NUJ in the state for the cooperation extended to his administration, assured them of sustained efforts at developing the state.

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On the issue of security, Governor Akeredolu disclosed that aside the recent recruitment and training of new Amotekun personnel, 20 hunters and local vigilantes would be trained by the Amotekun corps in each of the 18 local government areas in the state.

Earlier, the NUJ chairman had thanked the governor for his support for the management of the Ondo State Radio Corporation (OSRC) and Owena Press Plc., adding that the upgrade of facilities in the two state-owned media outfits was commendable.

He also expressed appreciation to the governor for the approval of the weigh-in allowance for journalists and information officers working in the state and local government service.