Four men have been convicted for their involvement in the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which resulted in the deaths of 43 worshippers. The Federal High Court in Abuja found Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25) guilty on nine counts of terrorism-related charges. Justice Emeka Nwite ruled that the four were members of foreign terrorist organizations and played active roles in the massacre. The Department of State Services (DSS) had initially charged five suspects, but Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) was discharged and acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The court emphasized that the attack was premeditated and carried out with coordination typical of organized terror cells. Proceedings in the case are ongoing, with further legal actions expected as the judiciary continues to examine the full scope of the incident. The Owo church attack is among the most lethal targeting of religious worshippers in Nigeria in recent memory, triggering widespread public condemnation and demands for improved protection of civilians.
The conviction of four men for the Owo church massacre comes over two years after the attack, while one suspect walks free despite being charged alongside them. The court's finding that they belonged to foreign terror groups raises questions about how such networks operated undetected within the country. If security agencies had actionable intelligence on these affiliations before June 2022, the delay in prosecution undermines claims of effective counterterrorism response. The acquittal of a 47-year-old defendant on insufficient evidence suggests investigative gaps that could weaken future cases.
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