Owo Memorial Park
On June 5, 2022, the ancient town of Owo, Ondo State, was thrown into mourning when gunmen attacked worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, leaving scores dead and many injured. Three years later, the grief still lingers — this time the ancient Owo town is enmeshed in controversy over the demolition of the memorial park built by former Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, Peter Dada writes.
On Monday, five men – Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar – accused of carrying out a deadly Islamist militant attack on a Catholic church in Owo, Ondo State that killed at least 50 worshippers and wounded over 100 others on June 5, 2022 appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where they were charged under terrorism law.
The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services
According to court filings, the men allegedly joined the East African terrorist group Al Shabaab in 2021 and plotted the assault at a public school near a mosque 30km from Owo’s St Francis Catholic Church.
Judge Emeka Nwite adjourned the start of the trial to August 19.
Back in Ondo State, debates over the demolition of the memorial park in Owo, in memory of the victims, have gripped both traditional and online media. The cenotaph, built by the departed Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in memory of victims of the terrorist attack at St. Francis Catholic Church, was pulled down on June 21, 2025, by state officials — igniting a storm of accusations, counterclaims, and cultural arguments.
The attack, which claimed at least 50 lives and left many wounded, had united the state and the nation in mourning. To this end, the immediate past administration ideated the erection of a structure for remembrance of the victims. Akeredolu’s administration built and inaugurated the memorial park without public opposition at the time.
That is why many stunned Owo residents watched in disbelief as state government officials moved in with bulldozers to level the multi-million-naira site two months ago.
Initially, suspicion fell on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, with speculation that political differences between him and his deceased predecessor had fueled the move. But the Olowo-in-Council immediately issued a statement claiming responsibility, saying the decision was made at the request of Oba Ajibade Ogunoye for cultural and traditional reasons.
In the statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Owo monarch, Sam Adewale, the council explained that the demolition was carried out on the instance of Oba Ogunoye, citing traditional reasons.
According to the palace, “Celebrating the dead near the palace is against Owo tradition,” and the original siting of the structure had been resisted from the outset. The council insisted that anyone with grievances should direct them to the palace, not the governor.
The statement read, “ In view of the public reactions generated by the demolition of the memorial park supposedly built in honour of the June 5th, 2022 murderous attack victims at St Francis Catholic church in Owo, the Palace wishes to say unequivocally that the request for this action was at the instance of His Imperial Majesty, Olowo of Owo and the entire good people of the kingdom.
“It must be made clear that the decision to site the structure in that particular location was resisted by the Olowo-in-Council and frowned upon by the people of the community when it was being conceived by the government of the late Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu.
“All advice to the late governor that celebrating the dead in any guise around the palace is not in conformity with the age-long culture and traditions of Owo was defiantly dismissed. Even at a time a protest was made by concerned Owo youths and stakeholders to that effect which the then governor disregarded. The above position of the palace is vindicated by the enthusiasm shown by Owo people and the deluge of commendation across sundry media platforms in support of the demolition.”
The statement however exonerated Governor Aiyedatiwa from the controversy, insisting that the palace approved the demolition, advising “anyone with any issue whatsoever against the demolition to make the palace their target and not the listening Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who is not in any way responsible for the demolition.”
Loyalists of the departed governor pushed back, accusing the palace of rewriting history.
Richard Olatunde, Akeredolu’s former Chief Press Secretary, said the Olowo-in-Council had explicitly approved the location during a meeting attended by high chiefs and top aides.
“The issue is not the demolition,” he argued, “but the posthumous indictment of a man who governed with integrity and is no longer here to defend himself.”
Olatunde added, “No doubt, the Olowo has the prerogative to request demolition of unwanted structures within his domain, just as Governor Aiyedatiwa retains the constitutional right to order the demolition of any state-owned property.
“Contrary to the insinuations by the Olowo-in-Council in the statement, Governor Akeredolu did not unilaterally impose the location of the Memorial Park. Extensive consultations were made. A meeting was held at the Governor’s Office, where the Olowo-in-Council granted explicit approval for the project.
“In attendance were several High Chiefs, including: High Chief Kunle Ijalana, The Adanigbo of Iloro; High Chief Sydney Ogunleye, the Akowa of Iloro; High Chief Osuporu; High Chief Famakinwa, the Ojumu of Owo; and High Chief Abimbola Omoloja(Olugbaragada) . High Chief Sydney Ogunleye and High Chief Abimbola Omoloja spoke on behalf of the Olowo-in-Council during the meeting. His Royal Majesty personally led the delegation.
“On the government’s side, political appointees from Owo at the meeting included Chief Gbenga Ale, former Chief of Staff; Mr. Dare Aragbaiye, former Head of Service and Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties; Engr. Raimi Aminu, former Commissioner for Infrastructure, Land, and Housing; Pastor Akin Olotu, former Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture and Agribusiness; and myself, Richard Olatunde, former Chief Press Secretary. Let it be known that there is no record of any objection whether from the Olowo-in-Council or the broader Owo community before, during, or after the park’s construction. It wasn’t until June 30, 2024 after the demise of Aketi that a protest was reported in Owo.
“The late Aketi chose that location because of its proximity to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owaluwa; the site of the horrific June 5, 2022 attack. Another reason was because the land had already been acquired by the Ondo State Government under former Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko for overriding public interest. When the Olowo later requested a portion of the land, Governor Akeredolu initially consented. However, not long afterwards, the late governor received a protest letter from the Arala family, the original landowners. Their complaint was that since the land was acquired from them for overriding public interest, it should not be allocated for a private use. Consequently, the late Akeredolu revoked the allocation from Olowo following due process.
“If the argument is that the Olowo-in-Council felt compelled to acquiesce to Governor Akeredolu’s proposal, it must also be noted that an alternative location was offered. The late Governor made it clear that if the Olowo-in-Council wasn’t comfortable with the construction of the memorial park at that location, it could be relocated to Ijebu-Owo or another suitable area within the town.
“We understand that those in the position of authority today have the final say. If this is what the people of Owo want, so be it! However, let us not forget that Arakunrin Akeredolu loved Owo deeply. He tried his best for the development of his home town. His legacy deserves preservation, not disparagement.”
However, the controversy took a more dramatic turn when Akeredolu’s widow, Betty, released a video at her husband’s tomb, accusing the monarch and the governor of “rubbishing his memory” and calling the Olowo a “baby Oba.”
She said in the three minutes 15 seconds video on X, “Darling, I’ve always known you to love your people, please see Owo people, then see what they have done to you. They didn’t blink an eye in rubbishing you, rubbishing your memory, rubbishing your legacy, as they claim, spear-headed by Olowo of Owo , whom you single-handedly, this is a known fact , it’s no longer a secret, you single-handedly installed that baby Oba and ‘Lucky’ (Governor Aiyedatiwa) the enabler ordered for demolition of a monument in remembrance of those victims massacred.
“The entire nation was shocked and the least you could do was to erase that monument. Nobody, no corpse was buried in that place. It was symbolic, all these people, they travel abroad, they see what happens in other climes. Why do we do things differently? To score political points or to settle scores?
“The Oba that doesn’t want the so-called cemetery, but that’s not a cemetery. There is one behind his house. He sleeps with the dead. All the Olowos of the world, where were they buried, were they not buried in that place he is living? Look at the hypocrisy.”
Her remarks sparked outrage in Owo, with youth groups, traditional chiefs, and even Igbo traders in the town condemning her statement as disrespectful.
Some of the traditional chiefs and groups of youths trooped out to the streets to lambast her for calling the Olowo, the current Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas, a “baby Oba.” They viewed the statement as a mark of disrespect to the first class monarch.
Even Mrs Akeredolu’s kinsmen— the Igbo traders who make their living in Owo also disowned her.
Some Owo residents welcomed the demolition, insisting the cenotaph was wrongly sited close to a sacred palace area.
“At the meeting (between Olowo and Akeredolu), all efforts to convince the then governor on why the cenotaph should not be located close to the palace, being a sacred place, were rebuffed by Akeredolu. He even questioned why the location should be regarded as a sacred place. So, all these that the aides of the former governor are now saying are nothing but lies from the pit of hell,” a palace chief said.
Others saw it as part of a deliberate attempt to erase Akeredolu’s legacies. Political voices, like Ondo PDP’s publicity secretary Leye Igbabo, faulted both the palace and the government—accusing the former of hypocrisy and the latter of possible political vendetta.
He said, “When the late governor muted the idea of locating the memorial park opposite the Olowo Palace, it was possible that Olowo-in-Council might have whimsically or lightly expressed its displeasure against the site but the moment the late governor also convinced them to allow the location stand, they might all likely clap their hands and nod their heads in approval. “I suspect very strongly that the Olowo-in-Council did not sufficiently stand its feet when it mattered leading to the citing of the cenotaph at such a place. Maybe, it has to also due to our hypocritical nature of worshiping power.
“While it is within the purview of the Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa-led administration to take decisions on governance, such decisions should not only be taken in such a manner to show that it is in the overriding public interest but must not also be carried out in a manner as to strongly suggest that political vendetta is being pursued.
“For instance, several organisations and well-meaning individuals have appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to complete all the ongoing projects left behind by the immediate Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and all the appeals seem to have fallen on the deaf ears.”
A former aide of Akeredolu, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The matter goes beyond what is being reported to the world. The matter is part of their plots to deal with Akeredolu’s legacies one after the other. You know Aketi was not in good terms with the Olowo and the current Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as well as some Owo leaders. So, what do you expect when the originator of the idea has left? The enemies will rise to destroy his legacies.”
Amid the tension, the state government set up a committee to identify an alternative location acceptable to both the church and the community. Governor Aiyedatiwa urged all parties to avoid “inciting language” that could disrupt peace.
Aiyedatiwa, during a meeting with the Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Jude Arogundade, said the committee would liaise with the relevant stakeholders to build a new cenotaph at a location acceptable to the church and the people of Owo.
“All parties involved and critics of the demolition should refrain from the language and narrative that could incite the people and lead to a breakdown of law and order in the community,” Aiyedatiwa warned.
Whether the planned relocation will heal the rift remains to be seen, but for now, the Owo memorial saga continues to stir deep emotions in a town still living with the memory of tragedy.
The Punch