Temilade Adelaja & Seun Sann

OWO Nigeria (Reuters). – There are bloodstains all over the floor and walls. Sandals were left in a mad dash for safety. A well-thumbed Bible lies among the shards.

These were among the many disturbing scenes inside the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Nigeria. Unknown attackers attacked the congregation with weapons and explosives during Sunday mass and left dozens dead and wounded.

Francis Obi said outside the church on the following day that two shots were heard near the end of the mass.

To describe the intensity of the gunfire, he imitated it and described how he fled towards the toilet before falling to the ground in terror.

“It was then that I began scraping (crawling) to get to the rear of the toilet,” said he. He noticed that there was a gap in the ceiling between the wall, and he continued to crawl.

“I put one leg there and then fell to the opposite side. He said that this is how he escaped.

Witness to the brutality of the violence was the gruesome scene at the church.

There was blood everywhere, and fingerprints all over the walls. This suggests that someone had attempted to rescue themselves.

A variety of wooden furniture was found, including a lectern as well as a pew. They were blasted to pieces and laid on the ground amid plaster dust.

Among the blood stained personal belongings left on the ground were newspapers, sandals and an umbrella. Broken glass and rubble were used to dust a hymn book as well as a Bible.

Although yellow crime scene tape was placed around the church’s front on Monday by police officers, there was no sign that any investigation had taken place.

A television crew, photographer, official, and clergyman accompanied two ruling party presidential candidates to the church.