A survivor of the Owo Catholic Church attack on Sunday, Stephanie Ajibo Olitex has taken to her Facebook page to recount the tragic event as she marks her birthday.
According to Stephanie, one of the armed masked men shot the choirmaster of the church in her presence before she hid herself under a cupboard inside the choir room with a baby in her hand.
The Reverend Father and the Catechist ran into to sacristy with some church members and shut the door. She had in her hand a baby who luckily remained silent throughout the gory incident.
Stephanie added that the gunman closed to them was only inches away from where she hid with the baby but having satisfied himself that there were no more survivors, he walked away.
The survivor further stated that she later escaped through the fence that demarcated the church from the Palace of Olowo of Owo Kingdom and ran to the palace for the fear of the unknown.
She added that the baby she had with her during the attack also survived.
Stephanie’s classmate, Adaugo Ekenedilichukwu also recounted how she was so scared to check on her the moment the news of the attack got out, knowing that she is a member of the church.
According to to her, “My classmates and friend is celebrating her birthday today after a near death experience yesterday.
“When I heard of the shooting incident yesterday, my heart jumped, then remembering her family worships there made me more weak. I was even scared of reaching her number.“
Narrating her near death experience, Stephanie Ajibo Olitex said, “We were inside the church when they started shooting from the outside. People at the back started running towards the altar. Some jumped fence and our priest escaped through the sacristy with the help of our catechist.
“By the time I ran towards the Sacristy door, it was already locked by members who were able to reach there before me. I had to hide under the cupboard inside the choir room with the baby in my hand. He shot somebody right in front of me near the Sacristy door. He looked around, when he didn’t see anybody or sound, he went away. He was on the mask, loaded with Ak 47.
“Note that the distance between the heavily loaded gunman and me was like the kitchen to dining. Our choirmaster who was hiding with us was shot in his chest before he ran into the room with us. I pray he survives the bullet.
“They killed children, youths and the elderly. We’ve recorded almost 100 death and still counting. I came out alive and escaped through the fence that demarcated our church from the Palace of Olowo of Owo Kingdom and ran to the palace for the fear of the unknown. The baby with me is safe, I’m also safe. Happy birthday to me”.
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