The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to death by hanging for their roles in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which resulted in the deaths of over 40 worshippers and injuries to more than 100 others.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the ruling after convicting Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25, on nine counts of terrorism, as presented by the Department of State Services on behalf of the Federal Government.
The court acquitted the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, due to insufficient evidence linking him to the attack.
In his judgment, Justice Nwite affirmed that the prosecution had proven the guilt of the four convicted individuals beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence clearly demonstrated their involvement as active participants in the terrorist group’s activities related to the deadly church attack.
The court determined that the convicts were key members of an Al-Shabaab cell operating in Kogi State and participated in the assault during a Pentecost service.
According to the prosecution, the attackers stormed the church, held worshippers hostage, and unleashed violence that resulted in significant casualties and destruction. They employed improvised explosive devices and AK-47 rifles to further their extremist religious agenda.
To support its case, the prosecution presented 11 witnesses and submitted 23 exhibits, including confessional statements and a digital forensic examination report. Among the evidence was a technophone device allegedly containing communications exchanged by the defendants before and after the attack.
One of the witnesses, a Catholic priest who survived the assault, provided a harrowing account of how the assailants detonated at least three explosive devices inside the church, causing panic and bloodshed among the congregation.
Justice Nwite concluded that the comprehensive evidence presented by the prosecution firmly established the connection of the four convicts to the attack, thereby justifying their convictions on terrorism charges.
