One of the survivors of Monday’s attack at Otite, near Okene, Kogi State, has given a graphic account of how gunmen invaded their place of worship, the Deeper Life Bible Church.
The survivor, Lawal Itopa, told one of our correspondents that it was by sheer miracle that he survived the horrible incident that has so far claimed about 20 lives.
Itopa, who is currently receiving treatment at the Okene General Hospital, said when the worshippers commenced service in the church, they never had any premonition that the worst was about to happen.
He disclosed that the faithful started the service at about 6pm, but that the service was interrupted midway at about 7.30 pm when the generating set went off.
He pointed out that before the church members could ascertain the problem, two gunmen stormed the building.
He said, “Before we knew what was happening, the gunmen started firing at us. The most painful aspect was that some of our members who escaped through the door were stopped by other members of the gang who waited outside the church and started shooting at them. “Following the confusion, some of the church members took cover under the benches while the assailants were firing at close range to ensure that no one survived to tell the ugly story.
“I wonder what could have triggered the attack, as there is no dispute on the uncompleted building where our church is situated. It was by sheer miracle because I don’t know how I meandered my way through bullets and sustained wounds.
Another victim, Samuel Ayodele, who lost his wife and a child in the ugly incident, is also in a critical condition in the hospital.
His brother, Odama Yusuf, said although he thanked God that he survived the attack, he was finding it difficult to inform his injured brother that two members of his family had been lost in the incident.
He said, “As you can see, he is getting better today but what is disturbing us is the fact that he lost his wife and child in the attack. We have not disclosed it to him yet and we don’t know how to tell him”.
Yusuf also said that Ayodele told them he was going to church but was surprised when he was later called to be informed that his brother and other worshippers had been attacked by unknown gunmen during a service.
Also speaking, the state overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Church in the state, Raymond Egujubi, wondered why the gunmen should murder innocent worshippers, saying that they have been worshipping at the church for quite some time without encountering any problem.
Meanwhile, 20 people have so far lost their lives to the Monday attack, with four other victims losing the battle for survival yesterday.
The commissioner of police, Kogi State command, Mr. Muhammadu Katsina, disclosed this yesterday while conducting Governor Idris Wada round the church when the latter paid a visit to the area.
He revealed that 17 other victims who received injuries were currently in hospitals just as he vowed that the perpetrators of the heinous crime would not go unpunished.
But the spokesman of the Federal College of Education, Okene, Peter Otomorihi, has debunked the rumour making the rounds that most of the victims of the attack were officials and students of the institution.
He, however, disclosed that two members of staff of the institution lost their lives in the incident, while some were also among the injured.
Meanwhile, Governor Wada has assured that government would stop at nothing to ensure protection of lives and property in the state.
Sympathising with the families of those who lost their lives in the ugly incident, the governor prayed God to give those who have lost their loved ones the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
He noted that for someone to die while worshiping God is very sad and which had shown the level some people had gone to destabilise the country, saying that the state government will not sit by to allow that to happen.
Wada further commended the law enforcement agents for their prompt intervention, urging them to fish out those behind the dastardly act.
Calling on the people of the state to fully cooperate with security agents to discharge their duties effectively by reporting strange and suspicious movements, he promised to foot the medical expenses of all the victims.
Culled from LEADERSHIP.
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