Owo Church Massacre: One Suspect Freed, 4 Sentenced to Death as Defence Vows Appeal

Segun Atanda/

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday delivered a split verdict in the trial of five men accused of involvement in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, discharging and acquitting one defendant while sentencing four others to death by hanging.

Justice Emeka Nwite cleared Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, after ruling that the prosecution failed to establish any link between him and the attack that killed more than 40 worshippers and injured over 100 others during a Pentecost service.

However, the court found Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25, Al-Qasim Idris, 20, Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26, and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25, guilty of terrorism-related offences and sentenced them to death by hanging after holding that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The judgment marked a major milestone in one of Nigeria’s most significant terrorism prosecutions in recent years, nearly four years after gunmen stormed the church in Owo and unleashed one of the deadliest attacks on a place of worship in the country’s history.

Delivering judgment, Justice Nwite held that the evidence before the court established that the four convicts were members of, and active participants in, the terrorist cell responsible for the attack.

“The prosecution has successfully established the guilt of the defendants beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge ruled.

“The evidence presented before the court clearly demonstrates that they were members of and active participants in the terrorist activities that culminated in the attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo.”

The four convicts were standing trial on a nine-count charge bordering on terrorism, terrorism financing, membership of a terrorist organisation, unlawful possession of firearms, hostage-taking and related offences brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.

In addition to the death sentence, the court imposed life imprisonment on the four men for belonging to a terrorist organisation and sentenced them to 20 years’ imprisonment each on conspiracy-related counts, although the death penalty remains the ultimate punishment.

During the trial, the DSS called 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements, forensic reports and electronic evidence allegedly linking the defendants to the attack.

Among the exhibits admitted by the court was a Tecno mobile phone said to contain communications exchanged by members of the terrorist group before and after the assault.

One of the prosecution witnesses, a Catholic priest who survived the massacre, recounted how the attackers detonated explosive devices and opened fire on worshippers, causing widespread panic, death and destruction inside the church.

The prosecution maintained that the defendants were principal members of a terrorist cell operating from Kogi State and that they participated directly in the planning and execution of the attack.

While the four defendants were convicted, the court reached a different conclusion regarding Abubakar, holding that the prosecution failed to produce sufficient evidence linking him to the crimes.

The acquittal immediately became one of the most significant aspects of the judgment and drew a strong reaction from the defence team.

Counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Mohammad, expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict and confirmed plans to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.

“We are appealing it. You brought three people on the same count, then you removed one and left others, where is it done? If you want to carry them along, you carry them and if you want to release them, then release them together,” he told journalists shortly after the ruling.

“We are not satisfied with this result,” the lawyer added.

The defence had consistently argued throughout the proceedings that the prosecution failed to prove its allegations beyond reasonable doubt and had urged the court to discharge and acquit all five defendants.

By contrast, the Federal Government’s legal team had asked the court to impose the maximum punishment available under the law, insisting that the evidence overwhelmingly established the defendants’ involvement in the attack.

The June 2022 massacre sent shockwaves across Nigeria and beyond after gunmen invaded the church during a Pentecost Sunday service, firing indiscriminately and detonating explosive devices among congregants.

The attack claimed at least 41 lives and left more than 100 worshippers injured, prompting national outrage and renewed concerns over the growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism in parts of the country.

With the defence now heading to the appellate court, the legal battle over responsibility for one of Nigeria’s deadliest church attacks is far from over.

However, for the families of victims and survivors, Wednesday’s verdict represents a significant moment in the long search for accountability and justice.

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