The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has condemned the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left over 40 people dead and many more injured.
On Sunday, gunmen believed to be herders attacked the church, killing dozens of worshipers and wounding dozens more.
The coalition’s President-General, Goodluck Ibem, stated in a statement that the attackers, believed to be Fulani herders, had declared war on the South.
“These Fulani terrorists’ attack is not only against Ondo State but also against Christians and the entire Southern region,” the statement continues.
“We are well aware that the bloodthirsty Fulani terrorists picked Ondo State to carry out such atrocious and barbaric crimes because of the governor’s anti-injustice stance, a strong commitment to the rule of law, and enforcement of the anti-open grazing law,” says the statement.
“This attack demonstrates to all that the country is being fulanized and Islamized, and those behind it are hell-bent on carrying out their wicked plan to massacre all Southerners in order to take over their ancestral areas by force.”
“We demand that those responsible be pursued quickly, with no stone unturned until they are arrested and prosecuted.”
“We urgently require a meeting of the Southern governors to establish steps to defend the Southern region.”
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