Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their involvement in the June 5, 2022 attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The judgment was delivered on Wednesday in charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025. The court found the defendants guilty of terrorism charges brought by the Department of State Services (DSS). Justice Nwite stated that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court determined that the four were principal members of an Al-Shabaab-linked terrorist cell operating in Kogi State. They joined the group in 2021 and attended planning meetings in Kogi and Ondo States on May 30 and June 4, 2022. On June 5, they invaded the church during Pentecost Sunday services, used improvised explosive devices and AK-47 rifles, and held worshippers hostage. The attack occurred four years before the sentencing.
The four were among five defendants facing a nine-count charge related to the attack. The court's ruling applies only to the convicted men.
Gunmen kidnapped Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, sister of former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons, Peter and Paul, in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The abduction occurred as she was taking the children to school. Femi Awogboro, media aide to Adelabu, confirmed the incident in a statement. Adelabu is an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant for the 2027 election.
Nicholas Msheliza, Returning Officer for the Adamawa primaries of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accused Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, of attempting to alter the outcome of the party's presidential primary. Msheliza said Lawal requested a reversal of results in Hong Local Government Area to favour Mohammed Hayatu-Deen over Atiku Abubakar. Atiku received 11,991 votes in Hong LGA, Hayatu-Deen 2,493, and Rotimi Amaechi 377. Msheliza claimed Lawal dissolved the local electoral committee and created a parallel structure that conducted an illegal exercise in Hong, Madagali, Michika and Mubi North, producing false results.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared support for the nationwide strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) over abductions of pupils, students and teachers. In a statement signed by President Joe Ajaero on Wednesday, the NLC called the strike a necessary response to rising attacks on schools. The union warned that a government unable to protect schoolchildren has failed a basic test of leadership.
Davido will perform at FIFA's World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles on June 10. The event will take place at Crypto.com Arena. FIFA announced on Tuesday that Davido and Major Lazer are the first artists confirmed for the concert.
Babachir Lawal sought to overturn an election result after the official count showed Atiku Abubakar winning Hong LGA by over 9,000 votes. He then installed a parallel committee that delivered different numbers. This undermines the credibility of the ADC's internal process and raises questions about who benefits from manufactured outcomes. The original result stood, but the attempt exposes how party structures can be weaponised against democratic norms.
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