Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has asserted that no terrorist attacks have occurred in the state since the June 2022 massacre at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, characterising recent violent incidents including the killing of a traditional ruler as isolated criminal acts rather than coordinated terrorism. The governor made these claims during a live media chat on Friday while responding to questions about security conditions in the state, even as ongoing trials reveal new details about the 2022 church attack and recent violence continues to claim lives in rural communities.
Addressing journalists during the broadcast, Aiyedatiwa distinguished between terrorism and other forms of violent crime. “Terrorist operation has not happened after the Owo massacre. We’ve not experienced any terrorist attack,” he stated. “I said that we have isolated cases of kidnapping for ransom; it’s happening, but we have to engage.” The governor emphasised the role of security agencies in responding to abductions, noting that “the security agencies have to engage to be able to ensure that those who are kidnapped are released, the victims are released, and then they put a trail on those who are perpetrating that act.”
When questioned about recent killings by suspected bandits, specifically referencing the Agamo community incident, Aiyedatiwa maintained his categorical distinction. “Those cases you mentioned, as I said, are isolated cases. These are not bandit attacks as it were, because when a bandit comes in, they destroy, they kill for no cause,” he explained. “They don’t take ransom. They don’t do anything. They just come in and just displace people.” He contrasted these incidents with the Owo church attack, describing the latter as pure terrorism. “Like what happened at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo. They didn’t take, not even the handset or phone of anyone. They just came in and blasted the whole place with a grenade and all that and left.”
The governor’s characterisation of recent violence as non-terrorist comes despite the brutal nature of the Agamo community attack on February 18, 2026, when suspected bandits killed Oba Kehinde Falodun, the traditional ruler of the community in Akure North Local Government Area. According to eyewitness accounts and family sources, approximately 10 gunmen stormed the monarch’s palace at dusk, speaking Hausa during the operation. The traditional ruler was shot initially, but when the bullets failed to penetrate, the attackers struck him on the head with a weapon. His wife, who escaped into nearby bushes after being chased and shot at, described the attackers as organised and deliberate. “They were about 10 in number. Three of them were at the entrance, while about seven came inside,” she recounted. “They kept dragging my husband, and I kept shouting, but nobody could come out to rescue him.”
Historical records indicate that the Owo church attack on June 5, 2022, remains the deadliest terrorist incident in Ondo State’s recent history. Over 40 worshippers were killed and 107 injured when gunmen attacked the Catholic church during Pentecost Mass, using explosive devices and firearms. The assault drew worldwide condemnation, including a letter of solidarity from Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, who noted that the attack represented “a disturbing development as it occurred in the far south of Nigeria where such bloodshed heretofore has been largely unknown.”
The Department of State Services is currently prosecuting five men over the Owo massacre: Idris Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47. The defendants, arraigned in August 2025 on terrorism charges, are alleged to belong to an Al-Shabaab cell operating from Kogi State. Prosecutors contend the attack was planned and executed as part of a violent religious agenda, though all five have pleaded not guilty.
Recent court proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja have provided detailed accounts of the immediate response to the 2022 attack. In February 2026 testimony, an Amotekun operative identified as SSG, an Assistant Commander and resident of Owo, told the court that he engaged in a gun battle with one of the attackers and later identified the man in court as the second defendant, Al Qasim Idris. The witness, testifying under a witness protection protocol, explained that he was initially responding to a separate kidnapping incident at Shagari Village when he received orders to abort that mission and proceed to the church.
“When we entered the church premises, we saw several dead bodies on the floor, both inside and around the church, including some injured people, including women and children,” SSG testified. He described seeing spent AK-47 shells scattered on the ground and encountering lifeless bodies of men, women, and children alongside severely injured worshippers. The injured were transported to the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, while corpses were deposited at St. Louis Hospital.
A second Amotekun operative, identified as SSH, testified the following day regarding the pursuit of the attackers. The witness told the court that his team, while on an anti-kidnapping mission, received a distress call about the church attack and subsequently trailed the assailants toward Ute Road after learning they had fled in a blue Nissan car. “We were able to get close to them because our vehicle was more efficient than the one they were carrying,” SSH stated. He described how the attackers abandoned their vehicle and fled into the bush, leading to an exchange of gunfire in which a hunter accompanying the Amotekun team was killed. The team recovered the hunter’s body and secured the Nissan vehicle, which was later moved to Amotekun headquarters.
During cross-examination, SSH confirmed that seven operatives including the deceased hunter were on patrol that day, and that the vehicle’s owner later came forward to identify himself at Amotekun offices. The prosecution closed its case on February 18, 2026, after calling 11 witnesses, with defence proceedings scheduled for early March.
Governor Aiyedatiwa has consistently positioned the Ondo State Security Network Agency, known as Amotekun, as central to the state’s security architecture. During the media chat, he described the local security outfit as a version of state police, asserting that “the local security outfit has been effective in complementing the efforts of major security agencies in the state.” The governor’s administration has taken a hardline stance on certain categories of crime, with the State Executive Council approving the death penalty for kidnappers in recent months.
However, security analysts note that the distinction between terrorism, banditry, and organised criminal violence remains contested in Nigeria’s security discourse. While Aiyedatiwa categorises the Owo attack as terrorism due to its apparent ideological motivation and indiscriminate killing, critics argue that the Agamo palace invasion and similar incidents represent a form of targeted political violence that blurs categorical boundaries. The killing of a traditional ruler by organised gunmen speaking a foreign language and operating with military precision raises questions about the governor’s narrow definition of terrorism.
The governor’s security claims also come amid ongoing concerns about boundary area violence. In January 2026, Aiyedatiwa met with security agency heads following a New Year’s Eve attack on Ipele police station in Owo Local Government Area, ordering intensified patrols across communities and forest areas. He has specifically assured residents of Ose, Owo, and Akure North Local Government Areas that “banditry and criminal activities along boundaries will not be tolerated,” suggesting recognition of persistent security challenges in these zones.
