By Seyi Odewale, with agency report
Four men convicted over the horrific June 5, 2022 terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, were on Wednesday sentenced to death by hanging by the Federal High Court in Abuja, bringing dramatic closure to one of Nigeria’s deadliest attacks on worshippers.
Justice Emeka Nwite sentenced Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25, after finding them guilty on a nine-count terrorism charge filed against them by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The court, however, discharged and acquitted the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, holding that the prosecution failed to establish its case against him beyond reasonable doubt.
The attack on the Catholic Church in Owo, headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, had left over 40 worshippers dead and more than 100 others injured after gunmen stormed the church during Sunday Mass and detonated explosives.
Delivering a marathon judgment that lasted over three hours, Justice Nwite held that the prosecution established a “complete chain of guilt” against the four convicts through confessional statements, forensic evidence, eyewitness testimonies and digital call records.
“The prosecution has successfully established the nine-count charge against the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge ruled.
Justice Nwite held that the DSS proved the convicts belonged to a proscribed terrorist organisation identified in court as Al-Shabaab, said to be linked to ISWAP operations in parts of Kogi and Ondo states under a coordinator known as “Adoba.”
According to the court, evidence before it showed that meetings to plan the church attack were held on May 30, June 1 and June 4, 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, Kogi State, and at a mosque connected to one of the defendants.
“The evidence by the prosecution witness was neither shaken nor discredited under cross-examination,” the judge said.
The court further held that forensic digital evidence tendered by the DSS showed repeated communication among the convicts before and after the attack, strengthening the prosecution’s case of conspiracy and coordinated terrorism.
Justice Nwite also dismissed the defendants’ claims that their confessional statements were obtained under duress, ruling that the statements were voluntarily made, signed, and thumb-printed.
On count one bordering on membership of a terrorist group, the court sentenced the convicts to life imprisonment.
They were handed 20 years imprisonment each without option of fine on counts two and three relating to conspiracy and planning meetings connected to the attack.
The judge subsequently imposed death sentences on counts four to nine bordering on terrorism, hostage-taking, use of explosives, possession of dangerous weapons and killings arising from the attack.
He ordered that the convicts be “hanged by the neck until death.”
“May the Lord have mercy on your souls,” Justice Nwite declared.
The court, however, held that the prosecution failed to sufficiently link the fifth defendant, Abubakar, to the planning or execution of the attack, including allegations that he channelled funds to the terror group through Point of Sale transactions.
He was consequently acquitted on all counts.
The DSS had opened trial against the suspects on August 1, 2025, calling several witnesses and tendering forensic evidence as part of what prosecutors described as painstaking investigations into the massacre.
At the height of the trial, one of the convicts, Omeiza, narrated how he was arrested in Lokoja by DSS operatives in August 2022 alongside two others.
Led in evidence by defence counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad, the defendant had claimed he was an auxiliary nurse and denied involvement in the massacre.
But prosecuting counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to impose the maximum punishment, arguing that the prosecution had established its case through “compelling and ironclad evidence.”
*Aiyedatiwa says killers cannot escape justice
Reacting after the judgment, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, described the verdict as a victory for justice, the rule of law and families of victims of the attack.
“This judgment sends a clear message that those who take innocent lives will face the full weight of the law, no matter how long it takes,” the governor said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan.
Aiyedatiwa praised the judiciary, the DSS and other security agencies for ensuring that those behind the massacre were brought to justice.
He also commended the resilience of the people of Owo and the Catholic community, saying the judgment offered “a measure of closure and hope that justice is possible.”
The governor pledged continued collaboration with security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering and protect residents against future attacks.
*DSS warns terrorists: ‘You can run, but cannot hide’
Also reacting, DSS counsel, Adedipe, described the judgment as a bold warning to terrorists and criminal elements operating across the country.
“The judge did a very thorough job. He examined and evaluated all the pieces of evidence adduced and correctly applied the law,” he said.
According to him, the DSS conducted extensive forensic investigations that yielded overwhelming evidence against the convicts.
“We are happy because justice has been served to the deceased who were murdered in cold blood, their families, the Owo community and the society at large,” Adedipe stated.
He warned terrorists still operating in the country that the law would eventually catch up with them.
“For some of them still carrying on acts of terrorism and heinous crimes, they can only run; they cannot hide.
“The long hand of the law will catch up with them. If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword,” he warned.
Adedipe disclosed that the DSS would review the acquittal of the fifth defendant and determine its next line of action.
*Defence rejects verdict, heads to Court of Appeal
But defence counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad, faulted the judgment and disclosed that the convicts would challenge the verdict at the Court of Appeal.
