Days after the arrest of about five masterminds of the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on the Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, security officials began a manhunt for their financiers.
Punch Metro reported that at least 40 parishioners were killed as the gunmen stormed the church and shot indiscriminately, leaving numerous others injured.
Although the Federal Government blamed the Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists for the attack, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu contested it.
However, The PUNCH on Wednesday reported that the security operatives had identified the sponsors and directed all port and border authorities to watch out for them.
A security source revealed that no fewer than nine of those involved in the bloody attack were in custody. The source also disclosed that security agencies launched a manhunt for five financiers.
The source said, ‘’The security agencies have nabbed nine persons for direct or indirect involvement in the bloody attack on the Owo Catholic Church. They are now in the process of apprehending the financiers and sponsors of the terror attack. Officers at the nation’s airports and borders have been ordered to watch out for and arrest the culprits who are on the run as they may be desperate to leave the country to evade justice.’’
However, the claims could not be independently confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, said he had no information on the fleeing terror financiers or the efforts being made to arrest them.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Luck Irabor had on Tuesday disclosed that suspected terrorists involved in the Owo attack were arrested in Kogi state on August 1.
