Senate President Bukola Saraki has expressed deep sadness over the massacre that occurred at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Anambra State on Sunday.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki stated that the killing of worshippers represents the purest kind of evil, and the security services must not stop until the perpetrators are brought to justice.
“Today, my heart goes out to Nigeria’s Christian community, Governor Willy Obiano, the people of Anambra State, and the families of the victims and the survivors of this terrible massacre,” the Senate President said, “This brutal act of attacking innocent and unsuspecting worshippers represents the purest kind of evil.
“Our security forces must not stop until everyone involved in the orchestration and execution of today’s massacre in St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Anambra are brought to book by the strong arm of justice.
“The Senate will continue to offer any form of necessary assistance in this endeavor, because today, all of us, as Nigerians have been attacked by this senseless act committed by evil people”, Saraki stated.
He further urged security agencies in the country to step their intelligence gathering activities so as to prevent activities of criminals and also unravel any crime committed against Nigerians by undesirable elements in the society.
Ekweremadu: Anambra Church Attack sacrilegious
In the same vein, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has described as beastly and sacrilegious the Sunday massacre of worshippers at St. Philip’s Catholic Church Ozubulu, Anambra State.
Ekweremadu, who also described the day as a black Sunday, not only for Anambra State, but also the entire nation, called on the security agencies to fish out the killers and bring them to justice.
He said: “I received with a deep grief the news of the blood-curdling killing at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu today. It is indeed a black Sunday and the act is most sacrilegious and condemnable.
“My heartfelt condolences go to the Government and good people of Anambra, especially the bereaved families and the Church. I also pray God to grant the deceased a peaceful repose and the wounded a quick recovery.
“However, this dastardly act brings to the fore, once again, the need to reengineer our security system, especially our policing system to arrest the rising wave of violent crimes in the country”.
He said in the meantime, the least the nation owes the deceased and the casualties was to work with the security agencies “to bring apprehend the culprits and ensure that justice is done to both the living and the dead”.
Dogara: Anambra Massacre is abominable, barbaric
Similarly, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has described Sunday’s attack on worshippers in a Catholic church in Anambra state as abominable, barbaric, inhuman, and the height of wickedness.
Scores of worshippers were murdered by gunmen inside a Catholic church in Ozubulu in Anambra State.
The shooting is said to have occurred during church service while worshipers were still inside the church building on Sunday morning.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, the Speaker said his heart is broken by the sad news of the massacre of innocent worshippers in cold blood by people he described as ” sons of perdition whose souls will rot in hell.”
“Have we lost our humanity? Where is the place of sanctity of life and sacredness of worship places in our society? What offence did the worshippers commit to warrant their massacre in cold blood by wicked souls and heartless men?”
The Speaker lamented that increasing insecurity is reducing Nigeria to the state of nature as life is increasingly becoming cheap.
He again reiterated his call for the overhaul of Nigeria’s policing architecture that will lead to reform of the Police Force, equip them with modern and sophisticated gadgets so as to discharge their duties of protecting lives and property effectively and ensure social order in the society.
Dogara further called on security agencies to fish out perpetrators of the heinous crime and bring them to justice speedily.
He extended his heartfelt condolences to families of the victims, people and government of Anambra state, Nigeria and the Catholic Church over the sad and unfortunate incident.