Court Sentences Four Suspects To Death Over Owo Church Attack

A Federal High Court in Abuja has found four men guilty for their role in the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which took place on June 5, 2022.

Five suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were first arraigned before the court on August 11, 2022, facing a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the federal government.

While delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Emeka Nwite, ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven its case against four of the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.

The court convicted Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris on all counts.

However, Momoh Otuho Abubakar was cleared after the court found no solid evidence linking him to the crime.

Nwite held that the evidence showed that the four convicted men were members of a terrorist group and took part in its operations, including the attack on the church.

The judge sentenced the four men to death by hanging.

The federal government had earlier told the court that the suspects joined the terrorist group in 2021 and operated from Kogi State.

It said meetings were held in both Kogi and Ondo States in 2022, where the attack was planned.

Prosecutors alleged that the group used improvised explosive devices and assault rifles during the attack, which left more than 40 people dead and over 100 others injured.

The government argued that the attack was carried out to promote the group’s religious beliefs, making it punishable under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

To support its case, the prosecution presented 11 witnesses and submitted 23 pieces of evidence, including confessional statements and a forensic report from a mobile phone said to contain communication linked to the suspects before and after the attack.

One of the witnesses, a Catholic priest who led the Pentecost Sunday service, told the court that the attack began just as the service was ending.

He said gunshots and explosions caused panic, describing the scene as frightening and chaotic.

Another witness identified two of the accused as part of those involved in the attack.

A student who survived the incident told the court that an explosion injured her leg badly, leading to multiple surgeries. She also revealed that her young cousin died after being shot.

Another victim testified that she lost both legs above the knees and one eye during the attack.

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