- Court fixes August 19 for trial
More than three years after the deadly attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State on June 5, 2022, five suspected masterminds of that bloody incident have now been arraigned in court.
The suspects were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday.
Following their arrest years ago. the suspects have been in the secret Police’s custody for interrogation and further investigation into the incident
According to the DSS, those arrested were suspected members Al-Shabab terrorist group, with their slipper cell in Kogi State.
It was also reliably gathered from security officials that investigations have so far revealed that four of the five suspects had confessed to the attack, while the fifth person was a willing accomplice.
One of the officials, preferring anonymity, said the case is part of efforts to dispense many prolonged cases at the DSS, and also check prolonged investigations.
In the suit filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) and marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025, the five defendants, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, were arraigned on a nine-count terrorism charge.
In the charge, they were accused, among others, of being members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group, with cell in Kogi State. They were also alleged to have carried out the attack in furtherance of their religious ideology.
Some of the charges read: “That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar adults, males, with others still at large, sometime in 2021, did join and became members of AL Shabab Terrorist Group, with cell in Kogi State and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25(1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 30th May, 2022; 37 June, 2022 and 4 June, 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, Adavi LGA, Kogi State and behind Omialafa Central Mosque, Ose LGA, Ondo State, respectively, attended and held meetings, where you agreed to and planned for the terrorist attack, which you carried out on 5™ June, 2022, at St. Francs Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12(a) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, with intent to further your religious ideology and while armed with IEDs and AK 47 rifles, did attack worshippers, held them hostage and in the process, caused grievous bodily harm to over 100 persons, including Onileke Ayodele, John Blessing, Nselu Esther and Ogungbade Peter and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(a) of the same Act.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, had in your possession IEDs and AK 47 rifles, with which you attacked worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, held them hostage, killed over 40 persons and caused grievous bodily harm to over 100 persons and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2(1)(2) and (3)(v) and punishable under Section 24(1) and (2) of TPPA, 2022.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, with intent to cause death, did detonate Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which led to the death of over 40 persons, including: Ajanaku John; Onuoha Deborah; Onileke Esther and John Bosede and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 42 (a)(ii) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church , Owo, Ondo State, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, did detonate Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which caused grievous bodily harm to over 100 persons, including: Onuchukwu Happiness, Ogungbade Vivan and Nnakwe Paschaline Ugochinyerem and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 42(a)(i) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.”
However, all the defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them and ollowing their not guilty plea, the prosecutor, Calistus Eze, urged the court to order their remand in the custody pending trial.
However, the defence counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad, prayed the court to order the DSS to grant the defendants’ families and their lawyers access to them.
He argued that the defendants had been in custody since 2022 when they were arrested and have not had access to their family members and lawyers.
In corroborating Muhammad’s argument, Eze said it was the standard practice that detainees’ family members and lawyers be granted access after a formal written request.
He noted that it has become inevitable at this stage that the defendants be allowed access to their lawyers to enable them prepare their defence.
In his ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody, and adjourned till August 19 for the commencement of trial.
Recalled that at least 41 members of the Catholic Church were killed while 69 worshippers were injured in the attack as bandits threw some explosives into the Church on a service day.
Following the attack, the then President, late Muhammadu Buhari, ordered immediate manhunt for the attackers. The directive saw the DSS swinging into action with the five individuals arrested as the key suspects.
