Owo Church Massacre: Court Reserves Judgment as DSS Seeks Death Penalty for Suspects

A Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of masterminding the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, an assault that left scores of worshippers dead and shocked the nation.

Justice Emeka Nwite fixed judgment for a date to be communicated to all parties after the prosecution and defence adopted their final written addresses on Tuesday.

The judge stated that hearing notices would be issued once the court was ready to deliver judgment, possibly within 24 hours.

The trial, prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), is regarded as one of the country’s most significant terrorism cases in recent years.

Lead prosecuting counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe, urged the court to convict the defendants and impose the maximum punishment prescribed under the law, including the death penalty.

Adedipe argued that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt through extensive investigations and evidence linking the defendants to the deadly church attack.

According to him, the scale of the violence and the number of innocent worshippers killed demanded the full weight of the law.

Counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Mohammad, however, asked the court to discharge and acquit his clients, insisting that the prosecution failed to sufficiently prove the charges against them.

The defendants standing trial are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.

The June 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo drew widespread condemnation from within and outside Nigeria.

Among those who condemned the attack were Muhammadu Buhari, former Ondo State governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.

Global leaders and organisations, including Pope Francis, António Guterres, the United Nations, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, also denounced the killings, describing the attack as heinous and calling for justice for the victims.