The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four individuals to death by hanging for their roles in the devastating June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The brutal assault resulted in the deaths of over 40 worshippers and left approximately 141 others injured. The convicted men are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25.

Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment, convicting the four men on nine terrorism-related charges after a trial spanning approximately nine months. These charges included belonging to the proscribed terrorist organization “Al-Shabaab,” which operates in parts of Kogi and Ondo states under the coordination of an individual known as “Adoba.” They were also found guilty of attending planning meetings for the attack, hostage-taking, and attacking the congregation with explosives, leading to death, grievous bodily harm, and widespread destruction. Meanwhile, the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, was discharged and acquitted by the court.

The horrific attack occurred during a Pentecost Sunday Mass at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo. Armed men stormed the church, opening fire and detonating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) inside and around the premises. The incident triggered widespread national outrage and condemnation from both local and international bodies, raising concerns about the spread of violent extremism to southern Nigeria from regions like the North-central, where Kogi State borders Ondo State.

The defendants were initially arraigned in August 2023 on terrorism charges filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. They pleaded not guilty to the charges, and their bail application was dismissed by Judge Nwite, who cited the gravity of the offences and the strength of the prosecution’s case. The trial formally opened in December 2023, with the prosecution seeking the maximum punishment, including the death penalty.

Throughout the trial, the prosecution presented a robust case, calling 11 witnesses and tendering 23 exhibits. Witnesses included a Catholic priest who conducted the Mass on the day of the attack, survivors who recounted the bloodshed and chaos, Amotekun operatives, and SSS investigators. Many witnesses testified under court-approved protection arrangements, using coded identities. One survivor, testifying from a wheelchair, shared her harrowing experience of losing both legs and an eye due to the explosions. A key SSS digital forensic expert testified that investigators used phone tracking, geospatial analysis, and cell tower triangulation to trace and arrest the suspects. The prosecution further alleged that planning meetings for the attack were held on May 30, June 1, and June 4, 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, Kogi State, and at a local mosque where the second defendant’s father served as chief imam.

The defence, however, consistently denied involvement in the attack, arguing that the prosecution failed to prove its case. Defendants like Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza and Jamiu Abdulmalik claimed that SSS operatives arrested them (Omeiza on August 1, 2022) and coerced them into signing confessional statements through torture and beatings. They insisted these statements were not voluntarily made. The court conducted a trial-within-trial to determine the admissibility of these statements, ultimately ruling against the defence and admitting them as evidence.

In his comprehensive three-hour judgment, Justice Nwite meticulously reviewed all evidence. He held that the prosecution successfully established the nine-count charge against the first, second, third, and fourth defendants beyond reasonable doubt. The judge found it