Justice can’t restore my legs, eye lost to terrorists — Owo attack survivor

Margaret Attah, a survivor of the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, speaks to PETER DADA about the incident that left her without legs and one eye, and the recent court judgment delivered against some of the attackers Where are you from? I am from Ile-Oluji in Ondo State, but married to an Akoko man from the same state. What do you do for a living? I am a registered nurse. I work with the Ondo State Hospital Management Board at one of the general hospitals. Can you recall how the terrorists struck on that fateful day? It was June 5, 2022, a Pentecost Sunday. I went to church that morning with my family: my husband, three children, and my mother-in-law. I am a member of the choir, so I was seated in the choir gallery singing praises to God. Everything was going fine until it was time for the priest to give the final blessing. Then we heard a loud sound from outside. At first, we wondered what was happening. It was not during the festive period when we could assume it was fireworks. Then came a second gunshot, and everyone realised something was wrong. Some of the church wardens went outside to check and returned shortly afterwards, saying there were gunmen outside and that everyone should try to hide. Immediately, panic set in. From the choir gallery, I ran to the altar where many people had already lain down. I lay on top of some of them, while others were on top of me. Gunshots started coming from every direction. The attackers tried to lock the entrance and windows, but before they could do so, the gunmen had already entered the church. They began shooting sporadically, and people were running in different directions. I remained at the altar, lying face down. What happened next? Then I heard a loud explosion, which I later learnt was dynamite. After that blast, everything went blank. When I regained consciousness, I realised I was still alive, but when I touched my body, I saw blood everywhere. I touched my eyes and legs, but I could not speak as my voice was gone. I could barely hear anything beyond a short distance. I began to shout for help, saying, “Ambulance, help!” They eventually came to my rescue as they were evacuating other victims. St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, after the attack by terrorists Credit: Voice of America I was taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Ondo town, where I received treatment alongside other victims. Later, we learned that about 41 parishioners were killed, while many others were injured: women, men, and children. After treatment, I lost both legs due to seve