Mr Usman Baba, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), has directed the deployment of specialized operatives to track down the perpetrators of Sunday’s attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, stated this in an Abuja statement on Monday.
The specialized operatives would be drawn from the Police Explosive Ordnance Devices-Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Explosives (EOD-CBRNE) and other tactical units from the Force Headquarters, he said.
Adejobi stated that the deployment is to ensure a thorough investigation and the immediate capture of the attackers.
He stated that the IGP had condemned the attack that resulted in the brutal murder of innocent Nigerians in a place of worship.
According to a police spokesman, preliminary investigations revealed that the gunmen entered the church armed with weapons and materials suspected to be explosives.
He claims that police investigators who were among the first responders on the scene recovered pellets of spent AK-47 ammunition.
He stated that operatives from the EOD-CBRNE unit confirmed the use of explosives after finding fragments of the IEDs used.
Adejobi stated that three unexploded IEDs were recovered after a thorough search of the incident site.
According to a police spokesman, additional investigations have revealed that some of the gunmen disguised themselves as members of the congregation.
During the attack, others who were positioned around the church premises from various directions, according to him, fired into the church.
According to him, the assailants fled the scene in a Nissan Sunny car with the registration number AKR 895 AG, which was stolen from the owner and driven through the Owo/Ute road.
He stated that the vehicle had been recovered and that the owner is currently assisting the police in their investigations.
Adejobi stated that the IGP had expressed condolences to the Ondo State Government, family members, relatives, and friends of the victims who died in the attack.
He promised that the heartless killers of innocent victims, particularly children, would face the full wrath of the law.
