By Olakunle Olasanmi, James Kwen and David Tarka, Abuja
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their role in the 2022 terrorist attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where 43 worshippers were killed and many others injured.
Delivering judgement on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite convicted the defendants on multiple terrorism charges, holding that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that they participated in the deadly assault, while a fifth suspect was discharged and acquitted.
The judge convicted Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al-Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26) and Abdulhaleem Idris (25) on multiple terrorism-related charges and ordered that they be hanged until they are dead.
A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), was discharged and acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence linking him to the crimes.
The judgment, delivered on Wednesday, marked the conclusion of a trial that began after the five suspects were arrested in parts of Ebiraland in Kogi State and other locations in Ondo State. They were arraigned in 2025 on a nine-count charge bordering on terrorism, conspiracy, unlawful possession of explosives and firearms, and the murder of worshippers during the church attack.
The defendants pleaded not guilty, prompting the Department of State Services (DSS) to commence a full trial after securing an accelerated hearing order from the court.
During the proceedings, the DSS called 11 witnesses, including eyewitnesses to the attack and security operatives who traced the suspects through mobile phone locations and telecommunications network data.
The agency also tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements allegedly made by the defendants in the presence of a Legal Aid Council lawyer, Mr Daniel Hassan.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, the defendants opted to defend themselves without calling any witnesses.
In his judgment, Justice Nwite held that the DSS had established beyond reasonable doubt that the four convicted persons joined the proscribed Al-Shabaab terrorist group in 2021 through a recruiter identified as Odoba.
The court found that the terrorists held planning meetings at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, where they conceived the attack. According to the judgment, the final arrangements for the assault were concluded at a location near Owo in Ondo State.
Justice Nwite further ruled that the prosecution successfully proved that the convicts detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) inside the church during worship, killing 43 persons instantly and inflicting injuries on 163 others.
The judge described the evidence against the defendants as “credible, cogent, positive, verifiable and compelling”.
He dismissed their claims that their confessional statements were obtained under duress, noting that the signatures and thumbprints on the documents contradicted those assertions.
The court sentenced the four convicts to life imprisonment on Count One, 20 years’ imprisonment on Counts Two and Three, and death by hanging on Counts Seven, Eight and Nine relating to the detonation of explosive devices that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.
Justice Nwite consequently ordered that they be “hanged by the neck until they are dead”.
Owo Church Attack: Aiyedatiwa hails death sentence for four convicts
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has welcomed the conviction and death sentence handed to four persons found guilty of involvement in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, describing the judgment as a triumph for justice and the rule of law.
