Chinedu Was The One Who Asked Me To Shift, While Shifting I Never Knew My Leg Was On Dynamite -Victim

According to Vanguard, two people who survived the deadly terrorist attack at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday to give their testimony.

The attack, which happened in 2022, claimed the lives of about 40 church members who had gathered for worship.

The survivors, who spoke separately in court, gave painful details of how the peaceful church service suddenly turned into a scene of fear and violence.

They explained that the service was disrupted by loud gunshots and powerful explosions, throwing everyone inside the church into confusion.

The witnesses told the court that the attackers kept shooting for a long time and also set off at least four explosive devices around the church premises.

Investigators believe the attackers were linked to the Al-Shabab terrorist group, which is suspected to have carefully planned the assault.

One of the survivors, a woman whose name was hidden for security reasons, gave her testimony from behind a screen.

She was identified only as “SSC” and spoke during the trial of five suspects accused of planning and carrying out the attack.

She told the court that one of the bombs exploded close to her, badly damaging her left leg.

SSC explained that when the shooting started, she was confused and extremely scared, not knowing what to do next.

She said she remained frozen in fear until an elderly woman sitting close to her was shot, which made the danger very clear.

Help eventually came from someone inside the church.

She told the court that a person from the choir area pulled her up and helped her run toward the altar.

According to her, the altar looked like a safer place at first, away from the attackers.

While there, she met another church member who tried to protect her.

She said a man called Brother Chinedu Ojukwu helped her lie flat on the floor for safety.

She added that many other worshippers were already lying down, trying to avoid being seen or shot as the attackers moved around the church.

The fear became worse when the gunmen climbed onto the altar itself.

She recalled that while everyone was on the ground, one of the attackers asked them if they knew why they were being attacked.

SSC, who said she is a student from Anambra State, explained that she was so frightened that she could not clearly see the man speaking.

She continued her story by saying that she briefly lifted her head and looked in his direction, but fear affected her vision.

However, the attacker believed she had seen his face and warned her that she would be killed immediately for looking at him.

She told the court that the threat did not end with words.

According to her, the man placed an explosive device beside her head and walked away.

She said Brother Chinedu later advised her to move from that spot.

As she tried to shift her position, she did not realize that her left leg was still resting on the explosive.

Moments later, it went off, leaving her with serious injuries to her left leg.

Hear her speak: “He then dropped a dynamite beside my head and left. Brother Chinedu was the one who asked me to shift. While shifting, I never knew that my left leg was still on the dynamite. It exploded, and my left leg was damaged.”

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