A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their roles in the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, bringing a major legal chapter in one of Nigeria’s most shocking terror incidents to a close.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite found the four defendants guilty on multiple terrorism-related charges connected to the June 5, 2022 attack that claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers and left over 100 others injured.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted a fifth defendant, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish a case against him beyond reasonable doubt.
The convicted men are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25.
Their co-defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, was cleared of all charges and ordered released.
The five men had been standing trial on a nine-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), which accused them of participating in the brutal church attack and belonging to a terrorist network.
Justice Nwite held that the prosecution successfully proved its allegations against the four convicts beyond reasonable doubt.
According to the court, the defendants were found guilty of offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, including conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation, kidnapping, hostage-taking and the killing of worshippers during the attack.
The judge ruled that the evidence presented by prosecutors established their involvement in the crime and justified the maximum punishment prescribed by law.
However, the court reached a different conclusion regarding Abubakar, stating that prosecutors failed to provide sufficient evidence linking him to the offences.
As a result, he was discharged and acquitted on all counts.
Attack Shocked The Nation
The Owo church massacre remains one of the deadliest attacks on a place of worship in Nigeria’s recent history.
Gunmen stormed St. Francis Catholic Church during a Sunday service and opened fire on worshippers, causing widespread panic and devastation.
The attack occurred in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, and triggered outrage across the country.
Families were torn apart as dozens of worshippers lost their lives, while many survivors sustained severe injuries.
The incident drew condemnation from religious leaders, civil society groups, political figures and members of the international community, all of whom demanded justice for the victims and swift action against those responsible.
The trial, which commenced on August 1, 2025, saw the DSS present several witnesses and documentary evidence aimed at proving the allegations against the defendants.
A significant aspect of the proceedings involved the admissibility of confessional statements obtained from the accused persons.
The court conducted a trial-within-trial to determine whether those statements were voluntarily made before eventually admitting them into evidence.
During the defence stage, one of the convicted men, Omeiza, provided detailed testimony regarding his arrest and detention.
Led in evidence by defence counsel Abdullahi Muhammad, Omeiza told the court he worked as an auxiliary nurse and recounted how DSS operatives arrested him on August 1, 2022.
Because he chose to testify in the Ebira language, the court provided an interpreter to assist proceedings.
Omeiza claimed he was arrested alongside two other individuals identified as Hauwa and Yusuf.
He further told the court that he later encountered the fifth defendant, Abubakar, while both were being held at a DSS facility in Lokoja, Kogi State.
According to his testimony, officials collected personal information from detainees, including their educational backgrounds, occupations and family details.
He stated that he remained in custody and was later questioned about the Owo church attack alongside his elder brother after the latter was also arrested.
During final arguments, lead prosecutor Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN) urged the court to convict all the defendants and impose the highest penalty available under the law.
Adedipe argued that investigators painstakingly gathered evidence that clearly established the defendants’ involvement in the attack.
He maintained that the case demonstrated the determination of security agencies to hold perpetrators of terrorism accountable and deliver justice to victims.
The prosecution insisted that the scale of the massacre and the suffering inflicted on innocent worshippers justified severe punishment.
On the other hand, defence counsel Abdullahi Muhammad urged the court to discharge and acquit the accused persons.
He argued that the prosecution failed to establish its allegations beyond reasonable doubt and maintained that the evidence presented was insufficient to warrant conviction.
After reviewing the evidence and submissions from both sides, Justice Nwite ruled in favour of the prosecution regarding four of the defendants while absolving the fifth accused person.
The judgment marks a significant milestone in efforts to bring accountability for the tragic attack that devastated families and shocked the nation four years ago.
For many relatives of the victims and survivors, the verdict represents a measure of justice after years of investigations, arrests and legal proceedings.
The court’s decision also reinforces ongoing efforts by security agencies and the judiciary to prosecute terrorism-related offences and ensure that those found responsible for mass-casualty attacks face the full weight of the law.
While one defendant walked free after being acquitted, four others will face the ultimate penalty following their conviction for one of the most horrific acts of violence in Nigeria’s recent history.
