There were many events of significance to me this past weekend. Some are spirit lifting, some are lesson laden but one particular event was heartrending. To me, this is one of those moments when the ink in my pen refuses to flow. My heart is heavy, the words are few.

Nigerians groan under harsh conditions but resilience describes her people even in the face of uncertainties of what tomorrow holds. When everything else fails, the succour we seek is in the place of worship, where we dump all challenges and hold on to the hope in the God of creation. If this only hope is taken away, what then is left to live for?

It was a black Sunday in Owo, Ondo State yesterday when unidentified gun men mingled with worshippers to maul down unidentified number of people and spilled innocent bloods in a carnage that can be well described as the Owo massacre.

This could have been anyone. The place of worship is a leveler, where the rich, the poor, the old and young seek the face of God to keep hope alive and to prepare for life after here. If this hope is taken away, what then is left? This is becoming too difficult to bear.

My heart goes out to the families of all the worshippers who met their untimely death in the most gruesome manner at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo yesterday. May God repose their souls and forgive their sins. May their family members find comfort in the most high God. My heart is so heavy, the words are few.

I have heard of wars and I have heard of war generals. When war is coming, the drum of war is beaten and even the deaf could hear loudly that war is near. Difficult as it is, people prepare for the worst in a war that is announced.

I have been asking myself lately, are we not at war already in Nigeria? The worst type of war is war of attrition that takes life unannounced when anybody can be a victim. Is that not where we are? These are perilous times.

©️Akin Oluwadare Jnr
06 June 2022