The Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) Early Warning Directorate, with support from GIZ, a German organization, has provided financial intervention to women affected by the terrorist attack on Saints Francis Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022.
The team, led by ECOWAS Focal person and Researcher, Dele Sonubi, visited the survivors, including Mrs. Margaret Attah and others, in Owo.
The organization chose the Owo Terrorist Attack and the Ibarapa Ethnic Attack of 2022 for the South West Zone to understand the cause of the terror attack and provide support to the affected communities.
The financial intervention follows the report published on June 5th, 2023 by Radio Nigeria’s reporter, Olufisoye Adenitan, who highlighted the plight of the women affected by the attack.
Adenitan’s report, which was supported by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, exposed the devastating impact of the attack, which left some women permanently disabled and unable to afford medical bills.
June 5, 2024, marks the second anniversary of the devastating terrorist attack, but survivors of the attack are still struggling to rebuild their lives and are appealing to the government and well-meaning Nigerians for assistance.
Adenitan shared that the support will go a long way to assist those who are in financial need and are yet to recover from the incidents, stressing that “a Nurse, Margaret Attah who lost her limbs and left eye in the attack, is still grappling with the physical and emotional impact of the tragedy.
“Also, the secretary of the Catholic Women’s Association, Adeseluka, suffered a spinal cord injury and is still unable to walk. Blessing John and Okoye, both survivors of the attack, are battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”
Adenitan noted that “despite the passage of time, the survivors are still in dire need of support to overcome their ordeal.”
In addition to the support provided by the aid groups, the community members are calling on the government and philanthropic individuals to provide them with medical assistance, financial support, and counseling to help them heal and reintegrate into society.