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Cenotaph built to honour 2022 Owo massacre victims torn down by Aiyedatiwa administration
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Demolition ordered after palace’s complaint on spiritual and cultural grounds
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Residents split between cultural justification and allegations of political erasure
Tension has erupted in Owo, Ondo State, following the demolition of a cenotaph erected in memory of over 50 victims of the 2022 terrorist attack at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.
The cenotaph, constructed by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to honour worshippers murdered during the gruesome massacre, was pulled down on the directive of the current administration led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, drawing mixed reactions across the state.
A widely circulated video shows bulldozers tearing through the monument and an adjoining wall that bore the names of the victims, triggering public outrage and reopening wounds from the 2022 church attack that shook the nation.
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Government sources confirmed that the decision followed persistent complaints from residents, especially over the cenotaph’s location directly opposite the palace of the Olowo of Owo, the town’s traditional ruler.
Critics, including cultural leaders, had labelled the site a violation of Yoruba customs, describing it as a spiritual taboo to place a death symbol near the palace — regarded as the sacred seat of life and authority.
While some residents welcomed the demolition as a culturally necessary move, others accused the Aiyedatiwa-led government of politicising the memory of the dead and attempting to erase the legacy of former Governor Akeredolu, who spearheaded the memorial project before his death.
Responding to the backlash, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan, explained that the action was taken after a formal request from the Olowo-in-Council, citing deep-rooted traditional beliefs.
He stated, “It was a special request from the palace of the Olowo, as it is said to be against culture and tradition to site such a symbol of death near the palace — the sacred seat of life and authority in Owo.”
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Adeniyan clarified that the government does not intend to desecrate the memory of the victims but to “restore cultural balance” and assured that a modern market would be built on the current site, while the memorial would be relocated to a more appropriate location within the town.
He also reaffirmed that plans are underway to construct a new cenotaph that would preserve the memory of the massacre victims respectfully and in line with cultural considerations.
It will be recalled that on June 5, 2022, gunmen invaded St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church during Sunday Mass and killed over 50 worshippers — including women and children — in one of Nigeria’s deadliest church attacks in recent history.
