The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their involvement in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Wednesday after finding the defendants guilty of terrorism-related offences brought 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 after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a link between him and the attack.
The court held that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the four convicts were members of a terrorist cell and actively participated in the attack on the Catholic church during a Pentecost service.
According to evidence presented during the trial, the attackers stormed the church, held worshippers hostage and carried out the assault using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles.
The prosecution told the court that the attack was carried out in furtherance of the group’s extremist ideology and formed part of its terrorist activities.
During the proceedings, the prosecution called 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements, a digital forensic report and a mobile phone allegedly containing communications linked to the planning and execution of the attack.
Among the witnesses was a Catholic priest who testified about the events of the day, recounting how multiple explosive devices were detonated inside the church during the service.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite said the evidence before the court sufficiently established the involvement of the four defendants in the attack and their membership of the terrorist group.
The Owo church attack, one of Nigeria’s deadliest attacks on a place of worship in recent years, sparked national outrage and renewed concerns over insecurity and violent extremism across the country.
