Five men suspected to be behind the June 5, 2022 bombing of Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, have pleaded not guilty to nine counts of terrorism brought against them by the Federal Government.
The suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdul Malik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Abubakar — were arraigned on Monday before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Prosecutors allege that the defendants are members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group and operated a cell in Kogi State.
Justice Nwite ordered that the five accused be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) pending trial, which is scheduled to commence on August 19, 2025.
The arraignment comes three years after the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, announced that security forces had apprehended those responsible for the deadly attack. The National Security Council had earlier linked the incident to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The Owo massacre, which shocked the nation, left over 40 worshippers dead and many others injured when armed men stormed the church during Sunday mass, firing indiscriminately at congregants.
Reacting at the time, the late Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, described the assault as a crime against humanity, vowing that the people of the state would not be broken by the act of terror. He renewed his call for the establishment of state police, arguing that a single federal command could not guarantee security across Nigeria.
“We must have state police now. We are doing our best with Amotekun, but it suffers many limitations in obtaining the equipment needed to confront these criminals,” Akeredolu had said in the aftermath of the tragedy.
