The Ondo State Government has demolished the Memorial Park erected in honour of victims of the June 2022 Owo church massacre, following a directive by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The cenotaph, originally commissioned by the late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in 2023, was built to immortalise the worshippers of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church who were killed during a mass attack that claimed over 40 lives and left many others injured.
The demolition, which occurred over the weekend, was captured in a viral video that has since circulated widely across the state. The monument, located directly opposite the palace of the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, featured the engraved names of the deceased victims and was designed as a permanent symbol of remembrance.
However, the monument had faced longstanding opposition from the Olowo and local stakeholders, who argued that its proximity to the palace violated cultural and traditional norms. Locals described its location as “a taboo,” insisting that such a symbol of death should not be visible from the royal palace.
Speaking on the demolition, the spokesperson to the governor, Mr. Ebenezer Adeniyan, confirmed that the decision was made in response to formal complaints from the palace.
“It was a special request from the palace of the Olowo, as it is said to be against the culture and tradition to site such near the palace,” Adeniyan explained.
While the government has yet to announce any plans for relocating or reconstructing the monument elsewhere, the development has sparked public discourse on the balance between cultural sensitivities and the preservation of historical memory.
