The Ondo State government has demolished the ‘Memorial Park’ erected in honour of the victims of the June 5, 2022, massacre at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo Local Government Area.

A viral video that surfaced Saturday evening showed a bulldozer pulling down the cenotaph, which was inscribed with the names of over 40 Christian worshippers killed during the terror attack.

Dozens of others were injured in the early morning mass shooting that shocked both Nigeria and the international community.

In response to widespread condemnation following the attack, the late former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, commissioned the construction of the memorial in 2023 to honour the victims and serve as a symbol of remembrance.

However, the park’s location, directly opposite the Olowo of Owo’s palace, sparked controversy among local indigenes and traditional stakeholders, who described it as a cultural taboo and urged the state government to relocate it.

Confirming the demolition on Sunday, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s spokesperson, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the action followed formal complaints from the palace regarding the cenotaph’s placement.

“It was a special request from the palace of the Olowo as it is said to be against the culture and tradition to site such near the palace,” Adeniyan said, adding that the government build another one in a different location soon.

…Akeredolu’s CPS Says no bodies were buried at the cenotaph

Former Chief Press Secretary to the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Mr. Richard Olatunde, has clarified that the memorial park built to honour victims of the June 5, 2022, Owo church massacre was established only after due consultation with the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, and his council of chiefs.

Olatunde made the clarification in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Sunday, in response to widespread reactions trailing the demolition of the cenotaph by the Ondo State Government.

According to him, the late Governor Akeredolu held a high-level consultative meeting with the Olowo and Owo political leaders before the project commenced, during which he presented his vision for the park and obtained the monarch’s express approval.

The former CPS stated that Akeredolu made it clear during the meeting that no corpses would be interred at the site, and even offered to relocate the park if the palace objected to the proposed location.

AKEREDOLU’S FORMER CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY REACTS

I have received numerous calls since yesterday from friends and professional colleagues regarding the demolition of the memorial park built to honour the victims of the horrific attack in Owo on June 5, 2022.

Word from the government’s media folks is that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ordered the demolition at the request of the Olowo -in-Council, citing the proximity of a burial site to the palace as the reason. While the palace has neither confirmed nor denied this claim, let us assume, for now, that the state government’s media handlers have accurately presented the facts.

Though I was initially reluctant to comment on this matter, it has become necessary for me to clarify the facts publicly and defend the actions and intentions of a man who sought only to honour the memories of the victims when he built the park.

Hence, these clarifications:

1. No bodies or corpses are buried at the memorial park. The park was constructed to celebrate the lives and memories of the departed souls. Not a single body was interred there.
2. The late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, convened a meeting with the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III his chiefs, and political appointees from Owo, where he outlined his vision for the park. He explicitly stated that no corpses would be buried there and sought the Olowo’s approval. He also offered an alternative: if the Olowo was not comfortable with the proposed location, the park could be relocated to Ijebu-Owo or other areas in the town. The Olowo and his chiefs agreed to the chosen site. I was present at that meeting.
3. When the late Governor Akeredolu built the park, he was not playing politics. He acted solely on what he believed was necessary and appropriate. It is sad that some government appointees are now injecting political undertones into this matter. This is very unfortunate.
4. The tragic incident of June 5, 2022, was an international tragedy. Given its sensitive nature, I believe the government should have exercised greater caution in demolishing the park. This action will undoubtedly reopen wounds in the hearts of the victims’ families.
5. The late Governor Akeredolu responded to the tragedy of June 5, 2022, with courage and resolve, doing what any responsible and responsive leader would do anywhere in the world. This demolition cannot erase his gallant efforts.

We will continue to remember the victims of the Owo massacre. They are martyrs who died serving God. May God continue to grant their souls eternal repose.

(Former CPS, Mr Richard Olabode Olatunde) as posted on his faebook page