Four men have been sentenced to death by hanging by the Federal High Court in Abuja for their roles in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed more than 40 lives and left over 100 worshippers injured.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite found the defendants guilty on a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.
The convicted men are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25). A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), was discharged and acquitted after the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence linking him to the attack.
The court held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the convicts were members of an Al-Shabaab-linked terrorist cell operating in Kogi State and participated in planning and executing the assault.
Justice Nwite noted that evidence presented showed the group held meetings between May 30 and June 4, 2022, during which the attack on the church was allegedly coordinated.
During the incident, armed attackers stormed the church during a Pentecost service, detonated explosives and opened fire on worshippers with AK-47 rifles, causing widespread deaths and injuries.
The DSS presented 11 witnesses and 23 exhibits, including confessional statements, forensic evidence, and a mobile phone containing alleged communications linked to the planning and aftermath of the attack. A Catholic priest also testified, giving an account of the violence inside the church.
Lead prosecutor, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ayodeji Adedipe, urged the court to impose the maximum penalty, arguing that the evidence clearly established the defendants’ involvement in one of Nigeria’s deadliest attacks on a place of worship.
However, defence counsel Abdullahi Mohammad asked the court to discharge and acquit the accused, insisting the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Nwite, however, dismissed the defence arguments and convicted the four men on terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy, unlawful possession of explosives and firearms, causing death, and grievous bodily harm.
The Owo church massacre, which shocked the nation and drew widespread international condemnation, remains one of the deadliest attacks on worshippers in Nigeria in recent years.
