Gang Reprisal Caused Church Attack, As Death Toll Increases

More revelations have continued to emerge on the killing that occurred in St Philips Church, Ozubulu, even as the death toll rises to 11.

The Police Commissioner, who condemned the attack as sacrilege, noted that the shooting was a reprisal attack after the perpetrators traced their victim to the church.

He said: “Information revealed that this (attack) is not unconnected to a kind of a ‘gang war’ between indigenes of the state – the children of the same village – who are engaged in a warfare outside Nigeria, precisely in South Africa; there were killings earlier and this is a reprisal attack.

“They (the gunmen) went to the church where he (the victim) was suspected to be undergoing the process of worship; the assassins fired and killed some people and that is the situation”.

Mr Umar told Channels Television that the church authority, however, confirmed the death of the victim’s father during the attack.

 “One significant point I would like to mention is that the father of the person they were looking for was killed and that is a confirmation from the church. We have an information which we are working on so that we can get those guys.

 “The person whom they were looking for was the person that built the church and he has other churches that he has built and in order to forestall any further attack, we were able to secure those churches that he built."