Court Rules on Owo Church Attack Case Involving Five Suspects

Judge Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja is giving his ruling in the case of five suspects connected to the 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. Reports say about 40 people died and over 100 were injured during the attack, which happened during Sunday mass at the church.

Mr Nwite started reading his judgement at around 9:18 a.m. He speaks loudly and clearly, often lifting his head as he reads to a crowded courtroom.

The five accused in the case are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47. They stand in the dock, watching the judge as the proceedings go on. The oldest among them wears a white gown and a soft white cap. He crosses his arms and stays quiet.

Sometimes, the defendants look towards the audience, almost as if asking for help, before turning back to the judge as he continues with the judgement. After standing for a long time, they now sit in the dock.

The lawyers for both the prosecution and defence sit quietly, paying attention to the proceedings.

The judge began by reading the nine amended counts against the five defendants. He mentioned that 11 witnesses testified in the case, labeled SSSA to SSK. He also went through the evidence and documents presented in court.

At 10:38 a.m., Judge Nwite reviewed the witness testimonies given during the trial. At one point, he said he received word that two of the defendants needed to use the restroom. He paused the judgement to let them go. The judge also left the courtroom at about 10:43 a.m.

He returned at 10:45 a.m. and continued with the judgement. As of this report, he is still reading the judgement.

PREMIUM TIMES notes that Mr Nwite reserved his judgement on 26 May after the lawyers for both sides made their final arguments. The court later scheduled Wednesday for the judgement and informed the parties involved.

While making his final address, the prosecution lawyer, Ayodeji Adedipe, asked the court to convict the defendants and give them the maximum sentence of death due to the seriousness of the alleged crime. On the other hand, the defence lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammad, requested that the court free his clients, saying the prosecution did not prove its case against them.

On 5 June 2022, gunmen attacked the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, during Pentecost Mass, killing more than 40 worshippers and injuring over 100 others. This attack happened as insecurity worsened in many areas across the country. For over ten years, the northeast has been dealing with insurgency. Groups of terrorists and their cells have reportedly spread to the northwest and north-central regions, where armed criminals, often called bandits, kidnap for money.

Kogi State in the north-central area borders Ondo State in the southwest, where the June 2022 attack took place. Many people think this attack shows the growing spread of terrorist activities to the southern part of Nigeria.