Court Sentences Four to Death Over Deadly Owo Catholic Church Massacre, Acquits One Suspect

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death for their roles in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, an assault that left dozens of worshippers dead and scores injured.

The court convicted four of the five defendants arraigned by the Federal Government on terrorism-related charges linked to the gruesome attack that shocked the nation and drew international condemnation.

The convicted persons are Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris. A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was acquitted by the court.

The defendants were initially arraigned on August 11 on a nine-count charge bordering on terrorism, conspiracy, membership of a terrorist organisation and involvement in the planning and execution of the church attack.

According to the Federal Government, the suspects joined the Al-Shabaab terrorist group in 2021 and subsequently established and operated a terrorist cell in Kogi State.

The prosecution told the court that the defendants held a series of meetings in Kogi and Ondo states in 2022, during which they planned the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo.

The government further alleged that the convicts carried out the assault using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles, killing more than 40 worshippers and injuring over 100 others during a Sunday service.

Prosecutors argued that the attack was deliberately orchestrated to advance the extremist religious ideology of the terrorist group, contrary to the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

After reviewing the evidence presented before it, the court found four of the defendants guilty on all nine counts and sentenced them to death.

The judgment marks a significant milestone in the prosecution of one of Nigeria’s deadliest attacks on a place of worship in recent years.

The June 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church sent shockwaves across Nigeria and beyond, prompting widespread calls for justice and renewed efforts to tackle terrorism and violent extremism across the country.

Families of victims and survivors have continued to seek accountability for the attack, which remains one of the most devastating assaults on civilians in Ondo State’s history.