The Pentecost massacre in Nigeria has achieved a critical milestone toward accountability following the news that four gunmen have been found guilty in a court of law. Armed men carried out a killing spree during Pentecost Sunday Mass at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, southwest Nigeria, on 5 June 2022, leaving more than 40 dead and up to 100 injured. Bishop Jude Arogundade of Ondo, the diocese which includes Owo, thanked the pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) for its dedicated campaign on behalf of the survivors, noting that they “will always carry the scars of what happened that day”. The prelate, who spearheaded the campaign for justice following one of the worst atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, gave a heartfelt response to the legal verdict.
Legal verdict on the perpetrators of the Pentecost massacre in Nigeria
The judicial decision was delivered on Wednesday 3 June this year by Justice Emeka Nwite during proceedings at the federal court in the capital, Abuja. The judge found four defendants guilty on a nine-count charge including hostage-taking, kidnapping, financing of terrorism, and the detonation of explosives causing injury and death. Meanwhile, a fifth man was officially acquitted by the court due to insufficient evidence.
The four convicted men were sentenced to life in prison for belonging to a terrorist organisation and to 20 years in prison for conspiracy. They were also given death sentences, although according to Nigerian law this specific penalty requires presidential assent. In modern Nigeria, presidential assent to executions is practically unheard of, and the last time a judicial execution took place in the country was in 2016. According to media reports, the men all pleaded not guilty, and their defence lawyer stated that they would appeal against the sentence.
Regarding the court’s sentence, Bishop Arogundade clarified the Church’s doctrinal position:
“The Church does not accept the death penalty but it is important that those responsible are held accountable”.
The bishop further called on the authorities to continue the ongoing struggle for justice, noting that many others were implicated in the coordinated attack in Owo.
Survivors’ trauma and Bishop Arogundade’s response
Speaking to ACN on Friday 5 June, on his way to celebrate a Mass marking the fourth anniversary of the atrocity, Bishop Jude Arogundade reflected on the long path to recovery for the families:
“We are pleased that at last the families and victims in general can move towards a kind a closure, although we realise that they will never fully reach closure as they will carry the scars of what happened that day for the rest of their lives”.
The prelate also described the severe ongoing psychological and medical difficulties facing the local community:
“Many are still traumatised and are still going through medical treatment and many are on the edge – they are still suffering and worried because they don’t know what will happen next”.
International advocacy and ACN’s global support
Bishop Arogundade went on to express his deep gratitude to ACN for mounting an active campaign for justice on behalf of the survivors. He emphasized the structural impact of the charity’s advocacy work:
“ACN did so much to keep the story of what happened in Owo on the front burner and by doing so they helped make it clear to the government that the whole world was waiting to see justice done for the victims of the attack”.
As a direct result of this international pressure, the Nigerian authorities were bent on getting to the bottom of the attack and remained intent on finding the perpetrators.
Soon after the tragic atrocity, Bishop Arogundade appeared before the US Congress and was subsequently invited by ACN to speak at the UK Parliament. ACN’s UK office launched a mass petition calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, which was later presented at 10 Downing Street by a high-level delegation led by Lord David Alton of Liverpool and Baroness Caroline Cox of Queensbury. This petition was delivered on 5 June 2023, marking the exact first anniversary of the massacre, by the human rights champions who were accompanied by representatives from ACN’s UK office.
Four months later, Owo survivor Margaret Attah, who tragically lost both legs and an eye in the armed attack, travelled to London. She received the first #RedWednesday Courage to be Christian Award, an honor presented by the UK national office that recognizes exceptional heroism and faith in direct response to religious persecution.
