At least 50 killed in attack on Catholic church in Nigeria

The aftermath of an attack at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Nigeria.
(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

At least 50 people were killed on Sunday during an attack at a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria, Reuters reports.

Gunmen opened fire inside and outside of St. Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari called "heinous." Ondo state Gov. Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said he visited injured victims of the "great massacre" at local hospitals, and Pope Francis said he was praying for those who had been "painfully stricken in a moment of celebration."

This type of attack is rare in southwest Nigeria, Reuters reports; an Islamist insurgency is primarily in the northeast, while armed gangs are carrying out attacks and abductions in the northwest.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.