A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to grant bail to five men accused of masterminding the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where over 40 worshippers were killed.
Ruling on the bail application on Tuesday, Justice Emeka Nwite held that the request lacked merit, stressing that the terrorism charges against the defendants were grave and capital in nature.
The judge agreed with the Department of State Services (DSS) that the suspects could intimidate witnesses, abscond, or otherwise compromise the trial if released. He also observed that the evidence against them was weighty.
Justice Nwite faulted the defence for failing to provide credible sureties, noting that their application carried serious legal defects, including the failure to list the defendants’ names on the motion paper and the filing of a joint affidavit rather than separate depositions.
“The applicants did not provide cogent reasons to warrant bail. Granting it under these circumstances would amount to taking a judicial risk,” the court ruled.
The DSS counsel, Dr. Callistus Eze, had urged the court to dismiss the application, warning that the gravity of the charges could compel the accused to flee. Defence lawyer, Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim, however, had argued that his clients presented reliable sureties.
The five defendants — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — are said to be members of an Al-Shabab terrorist cell operating from Kogi State.
Part of the charge sheet alleges that the accused, alongside others still at large, met at different locations in Kogi and Ondo States between 2021 and 2022, where they conspired and planned the Owo attack.
Justice Nwite ordered an accelerated trial and adjourned the matter until October 19 for commencement of hearing.
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