Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four suspects to death by hanging for executing the horrific June 5, 2022, terror attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
The individuals convicted are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25).
They were part of a five-man group prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a nine-count terrorism charge following the massacre that claimed the lives of over 40 worshippers and left more than 100 others with severe injuries.
In delivering his judgment, Justice Nwite found the four defendants guilty on all counts, which included membership in the outlawed terrorist group Al-Shabab (an ISWAP affiliate), conspiracy, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and the mass murder of the congregants.
The judge ruled that the prosecution successfully proved its case against the four men beyond a reasonable doubt, noting that the court had admitted their confessional statements after verifying they were given voluntarily.
Meanwhile, the fifth defendant, 47-year-old Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was completely discharged and acquitted as the prosecution failed to prove the allegations against him.
The legal battle, which commenced on August 1, 2025, featured extensive witness testimonies and an accelerated hearing pushed by the DSS.
During his defense, one of the convicts, Omeiza, testified in the Ebira language through an interpreter, detailing how he was arrested by the secret police on August 1, 2022, and subsequently interrogated alongside his elder brother and Abubakar regarding the Owo massacre.
Despite defense counsel Abdullahi Mohammad arguing that the case against his clients lacked sufficient proof, the court aligned with prosecution leader Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN).
Adedipe had passionately pushed for the maximum penalty, emphasizing the absolute enormity of the crime and the need for complete accountability for one of the deadliest assaults on innocent worshippers in the history of Nigeria.
