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The Federal High Court, Abuja, has reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of masterminding the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.
The decision followed the conclusion of final addresses by both the prosecution and defence teams, after which Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned judgment to a date that will be communicated to the parties.
He said that notices would be issued once the court is ready within 24 hours.
The trial, widely seen as a major test of Nigeria’s resolve against terrorism and mass violence, is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Concluding after adopting its written address, the DSS counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to impose the maximum penalty prescribed by law.
Lead prosecuting counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to convict the defendants and sentence them to death, stressing that the gravity and brutality of the attack demanded nothing less than the full weight of the law.
Counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Mohammad, however, urged the court to discharge and acquit his clients, claiming that the prosecution failed to sufficiently prove its case.
