Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has distanced himself from the demolition of the cenotaph erected in memory of victims of the June 5, 2022 St. Francis Catholic Church massacre in Owo, insisting that the action was initiated by the Olowo of Owo over a land ownership dispute.
The memorial park was built by late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to honour worshippers and families affected by the terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, which claimed over 40 lives and left many others injured.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today with Seun Okinbaloye, Aiyedatiwa said the cenotaph was constructed without the approval of the state government at the time and was sited on land belonging to the Olowo of Owo.
According to the governor, some actors in government then ignored objections raised by the traditional ruler and proceeded with the project, erecting the monument directly opposite the palace, a location considered taboo in Owo tradition.
He maintained that he neither approved nor directed the demolition, stressing that the monarch exercised his rights as the owner of the land.
“I wasn’t the one who instructed that it should be demolished. The owner of the land felt that this is my land and I need to take over my land,” the governor said.
The demolition of the memorial sparked widespread reactions from residents and religious groups, who viewed the structure as a symbol of remembrance for the victims of one of Nigeria’s deadliest terrorist attacks in recent years.
The controversy Resurface days after justice was served in the case over four years, as a Federal High Court convicted four persons linked to the massacre and sentenced them to death by hanging, bringing an end to years of legal proceedings over the gruesome attack that shocked the nation.
