The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four members of a terrorist group to death by hanging for their roles in the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers and left over 100 others injured.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite convicted Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris on a nine-count terrorism charge brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.
However, the court discharged and acquitted a fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, after ruling that the prosecution failed to establish any credible link between him and the terrorist attack.
Justice Nwite held that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that evidence presented before the court clearly established that the four convicts were active members of a terrorist cell responsible for the June 5, 2022 massacre.
According to the court, the convicted men were principal members of an Al-Shabaab-linked terrorist group operating in Kogi State and directly participated in the assault on St. Francis Catholic Church during a Pentecost service.
The judge stated that the attackers stormed the church, trapped worshippers inside, and unleashed violence that resulted in significant loss of life and widespread destruction.
Court records revealed that the terrorists used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles during the attack, carrying out the operation in furtherance of their extremist ideology.
To secure the convictions, the prosecution presented 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements and a digital forensic report.
Among the key exhibits admitted by the court was a mobile device allegedly containing communications exchanged among the defendants before and after the attack, which investigators said helped establish their involvement.
One of the prosecution’s witnesses, a Catholic priest who survived the massacre, gave an emotional account of the incident. He told the court how the attackers detonated at least three explosive devices inside the church, causing panic, chaos, and mass casualties among worshippers.
The testimony formed part of the evidence relied upon by the court in reaching its verdict.
Justice Nwite concluded that the totality of the evidence presented by the prosecution firmly connected the four defendants to the attack and justified the death sentence imposed on them.
The judgment brings a major legal milestone in the quest for justice for victims and families affected by one of Nigeria’s deadliest attacks on a place of worship in recent years.
The June 2022 Owo church massacre shocked Nigeria and the international community, drawing widespread condemnation and renewed calls for stronger security measures against terrorism and violent extremism across the country.
