The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has commenced the trial of five men accused of masterminding the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had on August 11, 2025, arraigned the defendants before Justice Emeka Nwite, charging them with nine counts of terrorism-related offences.
The accused persons – Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar – all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to the DSS, the suspects are alleged members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group, operating a cell in Kogi State. The prosecution alleged that they conspired and carried out the deadly bombing in Owo as part of their extremist religious ideology.
Court filings further revealed that the defendants allegedly held several meetings in 2022 at the Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, and at a location behind Omialafa Central Mosque in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, where the attack was planned.
The charges, brought under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment.
The court has fixed further hearings for the continuation of trial, as families of victims and human rights groups continue to demand justice for one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in recent Nigerian history.
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