The Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment in the case of five men accused of carrying out the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The suspects—Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Abubakar—are facing nine counts of terrorism. Justice Emeka Nwite announced the decision after both prosecution and defense submitted their final written arguments. The court will notify the lawyers once a judgment date is set, possibly within 24 hours.
Representing the Department of State Services (DSS), prosecution lawyer Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, urged the court to convict the accused and impose the death penalty due to the severity of the alleged crime. The defense, led by Abdullahi Mohammad, asked the court to discharge and acquit the defendants, arguing that the prosecution failed to prove its case. The DSS had presented 11 witnesses during the trial, which began on August 1, 2025. A trial-within-trial was conducted to confirm the voluntariness of the suspects' confessional statements, which the court later admitted as evidence.
The attack on the church resulted in the deaths of 41 worshippers, with more than 140 others injured, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The DSS had earlier requested an accelerated hearing, which the court granted. The suspects have remained in custody throughout the trial. Justice Nwite did not give a specific date for the judgment but assured that the parties would be formally notified when it is ready.
Akpabio enforces an eight-year rule that would have blocked his own promotion. The Senate President once benefited from prolonged tenure in office. Now he backs a policy that would have disqualified him years ago. This reversal exposes how rules are bent when they serve powerful interests.
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