The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to death by hanging for their roles in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against the four defendants. He was satisfied that the evidence established their membership of the terrorist group and their direct involvement in the deadly attack.
The convicts are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25). However, the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), was discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence linking him to the incident.
The attack, which occurred during a Pentecost service, left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured. The assailants were said to have stormed the church, held worshippers hostage, and carried out the assault using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles.
Court records showed that the defendants were alleged principal members of an Al-Shabaab cell operating in Kogi State. The prosecution told the court they acted in line with extremist ideology, with evidence indicating they coordinated and executed the attack on the church.
To establish its case, the Department of State Services (DSS), prosecuting on behalf of the Federal Government, called 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements and digital forensic reports. A Catholic priest also testified, giving a harrowing account of how explosives were detonated inside the church during the attack.
Elijah Adeyemi
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