Ondo govt demolishes Owo church massacre memorial cenotaph

Three years after the building of the “Memorial Park” to immortalise the slain worshippers of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo by terrorists, the cenotaph was, at the weekend, demolished by the Ondo State Government.

The destruction of the cenotaph, constructed by the late Rotimi Akeredolu to honour the victims of the attack, was said to have been carried out by the present administration following a series of complaints by the people of the ancient town of Owo.

In a viral video, bulldozers were seen destroying the cenotaph and bringing down the structure where the names of the victims were inscribed in memory of the massacre.

It was gathered that the Memorial Park, built directly opposite the Olowo of Owo’s Palace, was greeted with criticism and resistance from residents, who opposed the siting of the cenotaph directly opposite the traditional ruler’s palace.

They described the location as a “taboo” against Yoruba culture and tradition, and requested that the state government, led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, relocate the cenotaph.

Many residents of the ancient town hailed the decision of the state government to demolish and relocate the Memorial Park to another area, saying it would be better sited in a different location than in front of the palace.

Among their grievances were that the cenotaph was against Yoruba cultural values and tradition, and that it had no economic benefit to the town other than to constantly revive memories and pains of the beloved victims of the dastardly attack.

One of the residents, Adeola Akinloye, said, “The cenotaph, which is constructed in the heart of the town, has added pain and sorrow and always brings back ugly memories of that unfortunate incident.”

Speaking on the demolition in a chat on Sunday, the spokesman to the state governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the decision was taken by the government after complaints from the palace about the site of the cenotaph.

According to him, the Olowo-in-Council personally requested the monument’s removal through the local government, citing the spiritual inappropriateness of a death symbol facing the palace—the sacred seat of life and authority in Owo.

He said, “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 a monument near the palace.

“This is not desecration, but a restoration of cultural balance. A modern market will rise in its place to serve our people, while the monument is being respectfully relocated within Owo.”

Adeniyan, however, assured that the state government would build another memorial in a different location soon in honour of the slain Catholic worshippers.

It will be recalled that over 40 unsuspecting Christian worshippers were attacked and killed by armed terrorists who invaded the church premises on 5 June 2022, leaving 41 people dead and several others injured.

The violent attack jolted Nigeria and the global community, attracting public outcry and condemnation from local and international organisations.

Following the widespread condemnation that trailed the attack, the late former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, in 2023, announced the construction of the Memorial Park to symbolise the incident and honour the victims.

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