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)

published 5 June 2022

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.