The Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of participating in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned for judgment after both prosecution and defence submitted their final written addresses. The court will notify the parties of the judgment date, possibly within 24 hours.
The suspects—Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar—are facing charges linked to the massacre that killed 41 worshippers. The Department of State Services (DSS), represented by Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to impose the death penalty, calling the crime exceptionally grave.
Defence counsel, Abdullahi Mohammad, asked the court to discharge and acquit the accused, claiming the prosecution failed to prove its case. The DSS had presented 11 witnesses during the trial, which began on August 1, 2025. The court previously admitted the suspects' confessional statements after verifying they were made voluntarily.
More than 140 people were injured in the church attack. The DSS had requested an accelerated hearing when the trial opened, a request the court granted.
The DSS seeks the harshest penalty for the Owo church suspects while the same agency has never been held to account for failing to prevent the attack. The victims' families await justice not just in sentencing but in answers about security lapses on that day. If the court convicts based on confessions, it must also examine how intelligence failed to stop the massacre. The state cannot demand death for individuals while shielding institutions from scrutiny.
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