Owo church attack: How DSS tortured me to force confession ― Suspect

One of the suspects facing trial over the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, Jamiu Abdulmalik, has alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) tortured him in custody to compel him to confess to the crime.

Abdulmalik said this on Thursday, March 26, 2026, while testifying before the Federal High Court in Abuja during the ongoing trial of five defendants charged by the federal government over the attack that killed 41 worshippers and injured more than 140 others.

The defendant, who identified himself as a plumber and farmer, told the court that he was arrested in August 2022 while travelling from Ondo State to Kogi State.

The suspect said armed operatives dressed in black and wearing masks stopped the vehicle he boarded, searched passengers, and seized his phone before placing him under arrest.

Abdulmalik disclosed that he was handcuffed, blindfolded, and taken to the DSS command in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, where he was allegedly subjected to harsh treatment.

Abdulmalik said he was tied up and left hanging for hours, adding that he was only brought down after he urinated on himself.

He further alleged that he was punched and had water poured on his face while operatives pressured him to admit involvement in the church attack.

He said: “When we got there (DSS Command), I was left in the vehicle for some time before they brought me down. They carried me straight to where they hung me.

“They didn’t bring me down until I started urinating on my body. After that, they left me for a while and later took me to the cell.

“While I was there, they were punching me and pouring water on my face. They said they were pushing me because I was lying.

“One officer later came and asked them to stop and said they should bring me down and confront me with evidence instead of making me shout.”

Owo church attack: How I was arrested by DSS ― Suspect

Abdulmalik told the court that he repeatedly denied any link to the incident, stating that the DSS operatives attempted to connect him with suspected terrorist activities in his community.

Abdulmalik added that he was shown a photograph of a school building in his village and accused of being trained there to carry out attacks, an allegation he denied, insisting that he was not a student at the school.

The suspect said: “They brought out a phone and showed me a school building and asked if I knew it. I said, ‘Yes, it is a school in our village.’

“They said I was a student of one of the defendants and that we were being trained to terrorise the community. I told them I am not a student there but a plumber who farms in Ondo.

“They brought a paper with many names written on it and said these were the people terrorising the community and that they were asked to arrest us.”

The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, thereafter adjourned the case to April 1 and 2 for the continuation of hearing.

The Star