In a video that circulated widely on Saturday, a bulldozer was seen tearing down the cenotaph.
The structure had been erected to commemorate over 40 worshippers killed during the June 5, 2022 massacre, one of the deadliest attacks on a church in Nigeria’s history. Dozens more were injured when armed men opened fire during mass.
The memorial was commissioned in 2023 by the late former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, as a tribute to the victims and a symbol of collective mourning.
It was sited directly across from the palace of the Olowo of Owo, a location that soon became a point of contention.
