Forty people are believed to have been killed when gunmen stormed St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Odo, on Sunday, and 61 survivors are still in hospital, according to local authorities. The total is double the previous estimate. Nigeria’s National Security Council said on Thursday that the attack was carried out by the Islamic State group in the West African province of Iswap, apparently reinforcing fears that the militants, who have been confined to the northeast for many years, were trying to expand their influence and access. in other parts of the country. Ondo, in the southwest, has long been considered one of the safest places in the country. However, some analysts cautioned, noting that Iswap did not take responsibility. “Iswap is always under attack, and always in the south,” said Vincent Foucher, a researcher at the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) in Paris. “They want to show that they are strong and even expanding, so they would definitely claim it.” He said the mode of operation was different. “Most previous Iswap attacks used hit tactics and run, not a large attack team like in this incident.” Other possible perpetrators include militias involved in local conflicts, violence between farmers and ranchers, and even criminal networks. In an attack on a church in the state of Anambra in 2017, police arrested local blackmailers and traffickers. The growing instability of Africa’s most populous nation was underscored by attacks that killed at least 32 people in rural northwest several days ago. Armed gangs on motorcycles attacked four villages in the Kajuru area of Kaduna state on Sunday, eyewitnesses said. Poor telecommunications have delayed residents from reporting the attacks, as is often the case in parts of northern Nigeria. Such attacks have become frequent in troubled northwestern Nigeria, where thousands have been killed, according to data gathered by the US-based External Relations Council. Residents are often abducted and held for weeks, usually in forest shelters, until ransom is paid. The gunmen in the latest violence were “armed Fulani militia,” a resident said. “This is the language they spoke. That was their point of view. “They are not young in our environment because this is not the first time they are attacking.” Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST Fulani shepherds, who are predominantly Muslim, have been at loggerheads with established farmers for decades over access to grazing land. Competition has become deadly in recent years as armed gangs attack rural communities. Neither police nor Cantona government officials have yet confirmed the attacks. The limited security presence in many remote communities makes it difficult for government forces to protect residents from attacks or to quickly arrest perpetrators, analysts say. Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, has been accused of not doing enough to end the country’s security problems, one of the main campaign promises made by the former general when he ran in the 2015 election. Buhari’s presidency ends in May of 2023. Iswap could not take full advantage of its spectacular victory over rival extremist group Boko Haram last year. “They had mixed assets,” Foucher said. “The army was more active and good enough to put them under pressure now that they are in the spotlight.” “They are also facing unexpectedly fierce resistance from other factions.”
