Owo Attack: Man escapes death after renouncing Islam

By Tobi Olaniyi, Akure

A middle-aged man, Lateef Sanni is on the run after some bandits launched a deadly attack on his residence for doing what they called “blasphemy against Islamic religion”.

Lateef from Owo, in Ondo State got into trouble after he denounced Muslim religion as an aftermath of the Owo terror attack which left over 60 worshipers dead at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.

The incident, which attracted nationwide outrage, is believed to have been carried out by religious extremists.

Shortly after the attack, Lateef had publicly denounced Muslim religion, announcing his conversion to Christianity.

He had said publicly that he could not be part of a religion that encourages people to kill in the name of making heaven.

However, his statement could not go down well with some extremists who went ahead to label his utterances a blackmail against Islam.

A reliable source revealed that “he was first attacked close to the Hausa Market but he escaped death by the whiskers. It took the timely intervention of the security agencies to save him.

“So, a few days later, some unknown bandits attacked his residence again, but he was not in the house.

“Unfortunately, his girlfriend, who was pregnant then, was in the house. They gang-raped her and issued a warning that anywhere they see Lateef, he would be a dead man.”

Our correspondent spoke with Lateef’s distressed girlfriend, from the hospital, on July 3, 2023. where she lamented that the bandits showed her no mercy.

According to her, “my experience was terrible; those guys are animals, beasts in human form.

“They were shouting Allah while gang-raping me, threatening that my fiance would be a dead man any time they see him.

“I have lost my pregnancy to their wicked and atrocious acts; God will never forgive them.”

Meanwhile, when contacted the Ondo State Police Command said it received information on the attack, adding that it was on the trail of the perpetrators.

“Everyone has a right to choose any religion; so, they don’t have the right to place death threats on Lateef simply because he converted to Christianity.

“We have mounted surveillance with a view to arresting the miscreants,” the command’s police spokesman said.