Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, has said the state has not experienced any terrorist attack since the deadly assault on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo in June 2022.
The governor made the disclosure on Friday during a live media chat while responding to questions on the security situation in the state.
Aiyedatiwa explained that although the state still records isolated cases of kidnapping for ransom, there has been no recurrence of terrorist operations similar to the attack that claimed the lives of dozens of worshippers in Owo.
According to him, security agencies in the state have continued to respond swiftly to criminal incidents and are working to ensure that kidnapped victims are rescued while perpetrators are tracked and brought to justice.
“Terrorist operation has not happened after the Owo massacre. We have not experienced any terrorist attack,” the governor said.
“We have isolated cases of kidnapping for ransom, but the security agencies are engaging to ensure that victims are released and those responsible are traced.”
The governor also addressed reports of killings in some communities in the state, including the Agamo community, stating that such incidents should not be classified as bandit attacks.
He explained that the pattern of those incidents differs significantly from the activities of bandits or terrorists, who often carry out attacks indiscriminately and cause widespread destruction.
According to him, the attackers in such cases do not typically demand ransom or pursue targeted victims but rather invade communities to kill and displace residents.
Aiyedatiwa referenced the Owo church attack as an example of a terrorist operation, noting that the perpetrators carried out the assault without attempting to steal valuables from the victims.
“They didn’t take anything, not even mobile phones,” he said. “They simply attacked the church with explosives and firearms and left.”
The governor also commended the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, describing it as an effective security outfit that complements the work of conventional security agencies in the state.
He said the corps operates in a manner similar to state policing and has played a vital role in strengthening local security and intelligence gathering.
According to Aiyedatiwa, the collaboration between Amotekun and federal security agencies has significantly contributed to maintaining relative peace and stability in Ondo State.
The June 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo remains one of the deadliest terrorist incidents recorded in southwestern Nigeria.
More than 40 people were killed in the attack, while over 100 others sustained injuries, drawing widespread condemnation both locally and internationally.
Investigations into the incident are still ongoing, with the Department of State Services (DSS) prosecuting five suspects over their alleged involvement in the attack.
During court proceedings in February 2026 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, a witness from the Amotekun Corps testified about events following the attack.
The witness, identified by the code name SSG, told the court that he engaged in a gun battle with one of the attackers shortly after the church assault.
SSG, an Assistant Commander with Amotekun and a resident of Owo, said his team encountered some of the fleeing suspects in a nearby bush while responding to intelligence reports from eyewitnesses.
According to the witness, he was initially responding to a separate kidnapping incident in Shagari Village in Owo when he received instructions from his commander to abort the mission due to the unfolding church attack.
He told the court that upon arriving at the church, he saw spent AK-47 shells scattered around the premises.
Inside the building, he said he found the bodies of men, women and children lying lifeless, while several injured worshippers were struggling for survival.
The injured victims were subsequently taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, for medical treatment, while the bodies of those who died were deposited at St. Louis Hospital in the town.
The trial of the suspects linked to the attack is still ongoing.
