The Federal High Court in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Wednesday convicted four accused over their involvement in the 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Penpushing reports that Nigerian government prosecuted in the course of the trial five defendants – Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47.
The judge, Emeka Nwite delivered the judgement in the terrorism case after reviewing evidence presented by the prosecution and defence over three hours, held that the prosecution has proven the charge against the defendants.
Penpushing further reports that Nwite emphasized that it is clear that four of the defendants belonged to a proscribed terrorist group known as Al-Shabaab and convicted the first to the fourth defendants on count one for belonging to the terrorist group and acquitted the fifth defendant on that count.
The court on count two, convicted the first third and fourth defendants, while the judge stated that the prosecution’s evidence remains credible and was not effectively challenged by the defendants
Penpushing further reports that the court on count three, convicts the first to fourth defendants as the masterminds of the attack in connection with a meeting held on May 30, 2022, while the judge discharges and acquits the fifth defendant on that count.
The court on counts four and five, the court equally convicts the first to fourth defendants, while the fifth defendant is discharged and acquitted, and on count six, the fifth defendant was charged mainly with financing terrorism in connection with the attack.
Penpushing also reports that the judge, however, said that the prosecution did not prove that he financed the attack, he discharged and acquitted the fifth defendant, while as at the time of filing this report the judge is still determining the remaining counts.
The attack it would be recalled occurred during a Pentecost Sunday Mass at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo in June 2022, when gunmen reportedly opened fire and detonated explosives inside and around the church, killing at least 41 worshippers and injuring more than 140 others, and incident triggered national outrage and condemnation from local and international bodies.
Penpushing reports that the defendants were arraigned in August last year, about three years after the attack, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on terrorism charges filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
The prosecutors alleged that the suspects belonged to an Al Shabaab cell operating in Kogi State and that they planned and carried out the deadly church attack as part of a violent religious agenda, however, defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Penpushing further reports that the trial formally opened in December 2025 when the prosecution called its first witness, a Catholic priest who conducted the Mass on the day of the attack, and under a court approved witness protection arrangement, many of the witnesses testified with coded identities.
The survivors of the attack, church members, Amotekun operatives, and SSS investigators during the proceedings testified before the court, as well as some witnesses narrated how the attackers stormed the church and opened fire on worshippers attempting to flee.
Penpushing also reports that others described the aftermath of the attack and the efforts made to track down the suspects, and one of the prosecution witnesses identified two of the defendants in court as part of the attackers he saw inside the church during the assault, while another witness, who testified in a wheelchair, told the court she lost both legs and one eye after explosives detonated during the attack.
The prosecution eventually closed its case after calling 11 witnesses, while the final prosecution witness, an SSS digital forensic expert identified as SSK, told the court that investigators used phone tracking, geospatial analysis, and cell tower triangulation to trace and arrest the suspects.
Penpushing reports that during the trial, the court conducted a trial-within-trial after the defence challenged the admissibility of the defendants’ confessional statements, while the defence argued that the statements were obtained under duress.
The judge, however, admitted the statements in evidence after ruling on the objections and the defence later opened its case and urged the court to reject the prosecution’s evidence and acquit the defendants.
Penpushing further reports the first defendant, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza on March 4, testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja, and led in evidence by his lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammed.
The 25-year-old auxiliary nurse who denied involvement in the Owo church attack. narrated how SSS operatives allegedly arrested him at his residence in Kogi State on August 1,2022 after they stormed the house around 2 a.m, adding that the operatives later moved him to Ondo State and repeatedly asked him to confess to involvement in the attack, but said je had nothing to tell them.
Penpushing also reports that Omeiza alleged that the operatives chained and beat him until he fainted and later forced him to sign statements, insisting that the statements were not voluntary.
The court heard that, another defendant Abdulmalik in March denied involvement in the church attack while testifying in his defence, and told the court that SSS operatives arrested him in 2022 while he travelled from Ondo State to Kogi State.
Penpushing reports that Abdulmalik alleged that he was tortured in custody and forced to sign statements implicating him in the attack, but maintained that he had no connection with the incident.
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