Nigerians protest Sunday church massacre

A group of women in the southwestern town of Owo turned out Tuesday to protest the church massacre there two days earlier and demand improved security. During Sunday’s incident, gunmen hid among worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church while other attackers fired from outside. Witnesses said the terrorists closed the main entrance to the church and shot at anyone who tried to flee. Casualty counts have varied: The Ondo state Catholic diocese on Tuesday said it had verified 38 dead, including five children, from admissions at a Catholic hospital and a Federal Medical Center. The toll could be higher since family members took some of the dead, the church said. Meanwhile, the state government reported at least 22 dead and 56 others injured.

Have authorities identified the perpetrators? National police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said police recovered the getaway car, unexploded bombs, and casings from AK-47 assault rifles, but no armed group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and officials have not named any suspects. Nigeria is battling rising violence from armed groups, including Islamist insurgents and criminal gangs.

Dig deeper: Listen to my podcast report on the attack on The World and Everything in It.