Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, former First Lady of Ondo State, has strongly criticised Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for ordering the demolition of a memorial monument built in honour of the victims of the 2022 Owo church massacre.
In a statement shared via her official Facebook page, Mrs. Akeredolu described the demolition as a “desecration of sacred ground” and an “affront to decency,” accusing the Aiyedatiwa administration of moral bankruptcy and insensitivity.
She lamented that the monument—erected under the leadership of her late husband, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu—was meant to preserve the memory of the tragic terrorist attack at St. Francis Catholic Church, which claimed over 40 lives.
“To now dismiss it as having ‘no economic value’ for the sake of building a shopping complex reveals a disturbing level of moral decay,” she wrote, insisting that a “world-class society does not erase its pain to make way for profit.”
Mrs. Akeredolu praised former Chief Press Secretary Richard Olatunde and others who spoke out against the demolition, emphasizing that history would judge the Aiyedatiwa government harshly for prioritizing commercial interests over collective grief and remembrance.
Governor Aiyedatiwa’s camp has defended the move, claiming the land will host a “world-class shopping complex” to boost local commerce in Owo town. However, critics, including the former First Lady, argue that no economic benefit can justify the erasure of a site meant to honour massacre victims.
Mrs. Akeredolu concluded: “Lucky Aiyedatiwa has shown us who he is and history, too, will remember.”
As of press time, Governor Aiyedatiwa has not personally responded to the backlash.
