Stephanie Ajibo Olitex, who survived the gunmen attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo on Sunday, has shared her near-death experience as she marks her birthday.
Recall that unknown gunmen opened fire on worshippers at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state on Sunday, June 5, in which many people were killed and others were fatally injured.
Stephanie took to Facebook to share her testimony. While expressing gratitude to God for sparing her life in the attack, Stephanie detailed how she narrowly escaped being shot by the gunmen who invaded the church in masks and began shooting sporadically at the crowd without restraint.
According to her, she hid herself under a cupboard inside the choir room with a baby in her hand to escape being shot and later escaped through the fence that demarcated the church from the Palace of Olowo of the Owo Kingdom.
Stephanie recalled how people were shot in her presence, including the choirmaster, who is currently battling for his life.
“We were inside the church when they started shooting from the outside. People at the back started running towards the altar. Some jumped fence, our priest escaped through the sacristy with the help of our catechist. By the time I ran towards the Sacristy door, it was already locked by members who were able to reach there before me. I had to hide myself under the cupboard inside the choir room with the baby in my hand. He shot somebody right in front of me near the Sacristy door. He looked around, when he didn’t see anybody or sound, he went away. He was on mask, loaded with Ak 47.
Note that the distance between the heavily loaded gunman and me was like kitchen to dinning. Our choir master who was hiding with us was shot on his chest before he ran into the room with us. I pray he survives the bullet. They killed children, youths and elderly. We’ve recorded almost 100 death and still counting. I came out alive and escaped through the fence that demarcated our church from the Palace of Olowo of Owo Kingdom and ran to the palace for the fear of the unknown. The baby with me is safe, I’m also safe. Happy birthday to me. God Is Good”. She wrote on Facebook.
