Nigerian official: Dozens of civilians, including children, killed in armed attack on church

Gunmen opened fire on worshippers and detonated explosives at a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria on Sunday, leaving dozens feared dead, Associated Press reported, citing state lawmakers said.

The attackers targeted the St. Francis Catholic Church in Ondo state just as the worshippers gathered on Pentecost Sunday, legislator Ogunmolasuyi Oluwole said.

Among the dead were many children, he added.

“In the history of Owo, we have never experienced such an ugly incident,” said lawmaker Oluwole. “This is too much.”

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack on the church. While much of Nigeria has struggled with security issues, Ondo is widely known as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful states.

The state, though, has been caught up in a rising violent conflict between farmers and herders. Owo is about 345 kilometers (215 miles) east of Lagos.

E.M