Breaking news: 50 dead in Nigeria as unknown gunnmen attack Catholic Church

The north of the nation is mostly Muslim, whereas the south is predominantly Christian.
Gunmen invaded a church in the Nigerian city of Owo during a Pentecost ceremony on Sunday. The governor refers to a “heinous” attack, although it is unclear who is responsible.

Hundreds of people were killed in an attack on a Catholic church in southern Nigeria on Pentecost Sunday.

The incident happened during Sunday services at St. Francis Church in Owo, according to the Ondo State administration.

According to a local neighbor, a group of unidentified gunmen stormed the church and opened fire indiscriminately on everybody inside.

According to reports in the media, explosives were used in the attack.

The exact number of victims has yet to be determined. The administration of Ondo State has not released any figures on the number of individuals murdered.

28 persons were killed, according to a state legislator quoted in the online publication Persons’ Gazette.

The Nigerian Tribune, among other local news sites, claimed 50 deaths.

Governor of Ondo State Rotimi Akeredolu described the incident as “heinous and demonic,” claiming it was a premeditated attack on the innocent people of Owo.

On social media, a video purporting to capture the scenario has gone viral. It shows clearly deceased people, including children, lying on the ground, covered with blood.

So yet, no one has claimed responsibility for the incident. Locals suspect the attack was carried out by northern Nigerian terrorists.

Jihadist groups have carried out many attacks on churches in Nigeria’s mostly Muslim north in recent years.

This is the first time a church in the mostly Christian south has been assaulted.

Religious disputes, particularly between Muslims and Christians, are common in the 206 million-strong West African nation.