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PERMISSION IS GIVEN BY JIM WAGNER TO COPY & DISTRIBUTE THIS REPORT FOR NON COMMERCIAL USE ONLY
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CATHOLIC CHURCH TERRORIST ATTACK
BASED ON OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE (OSINT) AS OF JUNE 6, 2022 A.D. • COMPILED & ANALYZED BY JIM WAGNER
DATE & TIME: June 6, 2022
LOCATION: St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo (small town 31 miles from state capital of Akure), Nigeria (West Africa).
TYPE OF ATTACK: Terrorism.
SUSPECTS: Unknown, at least 8 terrorists. No group has claimed responsibility.
MOTIVE: Anti-Christian terrorism.
WEAPONS USED: Assault rifles and explosives. There were 7.62 mm rounds found at the crime scene, and some unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
INJURIES OR DAMAGE: Approximately 50 dead, and 27 injured. 13 injured children were rushed to the hospital, with two dead on arrival. Extensive damage to church building.
SITUATION: Worshippers were celebrating the feast of Pentecost. The sanctuary was filled with worshippers. Terrorists started the attack with explosives, and then followed up with firing assault rifles.
RED ACTION: The gunmen arrived at the location on motorcycles and at least one vehicle. A few terrorists stayed outside and positioned themselves (coming from different directions) around the church, while four terrorists “disguised as congregants” walked inside the church and then threw explosives into the packed pews of the sanctuary during a service for Pentecost. After the explosions witnesses state that gunmen began “shooting sporadically” at the survivors, while the terrorists who had stayed outside the church started shooting into the building.
This attack occurred one week after 31 people were killed and others injured during a stampede at a church event in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
BLUE ACTION: State Police Commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran said security forces pursued the attackers, “but unfortunately, we could not catch up with them.” Many congregants were given first aid on the spot, and then rushed to the local hospital. The town was so overwhelmed by those injured in the attack that the Nigeria Medical Association directed all available doctors to the region to help medical personnel at the Federal Medical Center in Owo.
A vigilante militia stood guard outside of the church to protect it from further harm after the attack.
JIM WAGNER’S COMMENTARY: There was no armed church security team present during the event, yet heavily armed uniformed vigilantes, at least a dozen of them, showed up to secure the church perimeter after the attack. The police also showed up after the attackers had fled, and pursued them, but lost them.
This type of attack, God forbid, with multiple shooters (with explosives and assault rifles) could very well happen here in the United States. Most churches are not even prepared for a determined knife attacker or a single gunman, let alone a small terrorist cell using military tactics. The result of such a coordinated attack, should it happen here, will result in an extremely high body count and many injured if a church is not ready for it.
Every church service, especially those with large numbers attending, should have at least one trained undercover church security agent (preferably armed) in a centralized location, a parking lot attendant scanning the vehicles coming onto the property (to give a warning to those attending a service or event), and one church usher trained in tactical observation as people are coming into the sanctuary. These three positions must be linked with radio communications. Of course, the bigger the security team (parking lot attendants, greeters, ushers, unarmed and armed security officers, and medical personnel) the better.
The optimum situation for any church is to have, besides trained observers that can alert congregants and the authorities before a breach, is a small Counter Assault Team (CAT), which requires a minimum of two armed church security officers and up to six security officers (an active shooter formation of point, two laterals, team leader, and tail gunner) that can respond to an active shooter or cell of shooters; especially if the attackers spread out and hit multiple buildings or areas. A Counter Assault Team must be highly trained in small unit tactics, which is not as difficult as most church leadership would think. However, many in church leadership cannot accept the fact that such a team (some don't even want one armed church security officer on the premises) is needed. However, today the Department of Homeland Security published a bulletin stating: "In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets." The bulletin listed potential targets to include "public gatherings, faith-based institutions, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents." Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. Nehemiah 4:17-18
LOCATION: St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo (small town 31 miles from state capital of Akure), Nigeria (West Africa).
TYPE OF ATTACK: Terrorism.
SUSPECTS: Unknown, at least 8 terrorists. No group has claimed responsibility.
MOTIVE: Anti-Christian terrorism.
WEAPONS USED: Assault rifles and explosives. There were 7.62 mm rounds found at the crime scene, and some unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
INJURIES OR DAMAGE: Approximately 50 dead, and 27 injured. 13 injured children were rushed to the hospital, with two dead on arrival. Extensive damage to church building.
SITUATION: Worshippers were celebrating the feast of Pentecost. The sanctuary was filled with worshippers. Terrorists started the attack with explosives, and then followed up with firing assault rifles.
RED ACTION: The gunmen arrived at the location on motorcycles and at least one vehicle. A few terrorists stayed outside and positioned themselves (coming from different directions) around the church, while four terrorists “disguised as congregants” walked inside the church and then threw explosives into the packed pews of the sanctuary during a service for Pentecost. After the explosions witnesses state that gunmen began “shooting sporadically” at the survivors, while the terrorists who had stayed outside the church started shooting into the building.
This attack occurred one week after 31 people were killed and others injured during a stampede at a church event in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
BLUE ACTION: State Police Commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran said security forces pursued the attackers, “but unfortunately, we could not catch up with them.” Many congregants were given first aid on the spot, and then rushed to the local hospital. The town was so overwhelmed by those injured in the attack that the Nigeria Medical Association directed all available doctors to the region to help medical personnel at the Federal Medical Center in Owo.
A vigilante militia stood guard outside of the church to protect it from further harm after the attack.
JIM WAGNER’S COMMENTARY: There was no armed church security team present during the event, yet heavily armed uniformed vigilantes, at least a dozen of them, showed up to secure the church perimeter after the attack. The police also showed up after the attackers had fled, and pursued them, but lost them.
This type of attack, God forbid, with multiple shooters (with explosives and assault rifles) could very well happen here in the United States. Most churches are not even prepared for a determined knife attacker or a single gunman, let alone a small terrorist cell using military tactics. The result of such a coordinated attack, should it happen here, will result in an extremely high body count and many injured if a church is not ready for it.
Every church service, especially those with large numbers attending, should have at least one trained undercover church security agent (preferably armed) in a centralized location, a parking lot attendant scanning the vehicles coming onto the property (to give a warning to those attending a service or event), and one church usher trained in tactical observation as people are coming into the sanctuary. These three positions must be linked with radio communications. Of course, the bigger the security team (parking lot attendants, greeters, ushers, unarmed and armed security officers, and medical personnel) the better.
The optimum situation for any church is to have, besides trained observers that can alert congregants and the authorities before a breach, is a small Counter Assault Team (CAT), which requires a minimum of two armed church security officers and up to six security officers (an active shooter formation of point, two laterals, team leader, and tail gunner) that can respond to an active shooter or cell of shooters; especially if the attackers spread out and hit multiple buildings or areas. A Counter Assault Team must be highly trained in small unit tactics, which is not as difficult as most church leadership would think. However, many in church leadership cannot accept the fact that such a team (some don't even want one armed church security officer on the premises) is needed. However, today the Department of Homeland Security published a bulletin stating: "In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets." The bulletin listed potential targets to include "public gatherings, faith-based institutions, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents." Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. Nehemiah 4:17-18