Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the Governor of Ondo State, has pledged that the State will provide land for the mass burial of the victims of the Owo terror incident.
While hosting a delegation of Catholic Bishops from the South-West led by Most Reverend Leke Abegunrin, Akeredolu stated that he is yet to comprehend the reason behind such attack.
Akeredolu stated that 127 people were affected during the incident, with 61 survivors still being treated in various hospitals. He also revealed that 26 people had been released and 40 had died.
The new statistic, according to the Governor, came as a result of the harmonization of records from various hospitals, including private ones.
He asked people to disregard the data that had been released previously.
Akeredolu noted that the State government had set up a contribution account in response to a succession of calls and requests for an account number from individuals who want to help the victims’ and survivors’ families.
All donations will be used wisely, according to Akeredolu, for the reason for which they were given.
“I have been looking for a better word to use because we have witnessed barbaric elements, animals in human’s skin. If you are human, you would not do what they have done.
“Maybe there are areas where they will do such a thing and they are not worried. But here we are worried because it is not something we are used to. Human life means a lot to us.
“That is why one is moved. We will have a Memorial Park here where those who died in the attack will be buried. My Bishop sir, we will find a good place as a Memorial Park. It will also be my suggestion that even if there are people who have retrieved their family or members of their family, we must still have a symbolic grave there for them. And it will be there forever, it is not something we can forget and we should never forget it.”
During the visit, the Catholic Bishop of Ondo, Most Reverend Jude Arogundade, said that the Church will organize a proper funeral for the souls who have been lost.
