Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has put numbers to the devastation seen at the St.Francis Catholic Church, Owo.
Akeredolu while revealing details of his on-site assessment said it was a test of the state and the Southwest and the people will not accept defeat.
In a broadcast message on Tuesday evening, Akeredolu said a total of 80 people were attacked, with 22 declared dead and 56 on admission at various hospitals. He said two people have been discharged.
“As you will all recall, I was out of the state on party assignment in respect of the ongoing national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.
“I had to cut short my stay in Abuja to have a personal first-hand assessment of the situation.
“On arrival, I received preliminary briefings from the heads of the various security agencies which formed the basis of movement to the scene of the devilish act in Owo.
“The site, that is, St. Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa, Owo, presents a gory war-like scene. The Federal Medical Centre, Owo, the St. Louis Hospital, Owo, the General Hospital, Owo, as well as some private hospitals in Owo, were filled with the injured, most of whom were in critical condition.
“The most unfortunate part is the lives of innocent children cut down in their prime and some severely injured by the mindless attackers. The total number of people involved was 80. As at now, 56 are on admission, two discharged, while the death toll is 22.”
Akeredolu, who hails from Owo, where the attack took place said the urge for reprisals was high across the state as he vowed that the town and region will not be conquered.
“At Owo, the anger was palpable. The tension was at an abrasive level just as the urge for reprisals was high,” he said.
“Without doubt too, the ripple impact of this heinous act as well as the understandably angry reaction across the state could not have been different.
“To me, this is an attempt to test the will of the people of the state and indeed, the south-west.
“It, unequivocally, has the brazenly possible consequence of invitation to national anarchy because Yorubaland, and Owo in particular, have never been conquered before; and it will never happen.”