Court reserves judgment in Owo Church attack trial

A Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of masterminding the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

Justice Emeka Nwite fixed judgment for a date to be communicated to parties, indicating that notices could be issued within 24 hours following the conclusion of final arguments.

The case, prosecuted by the Department of State Services, is considered a major test of Nigeria’s commitment to tackling terrorism.

Lead prosecuting counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to convict the defendants and impose the maximum penalty, arguing that the scale and brutality of the attack warranted the full weight of the law.

However, defence counsel, Abdullahi Mohammad, asked the court to acquit the accused, maintaining that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The defendants standing trial are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.

The 2022 Owo church attack, one of the deadliest assaults on worshippers in Nigeria, drew widespread condemnation from global and local leaders, including Pope Francis and António Guterres, as well as former President Muhammadu Buhari.