(BREAKING) Owo Church Attack: Court sentences 4 terrorists to death by hanging

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab to death by hanging over their roles in the deadly June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, an assault that left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured.

Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite convicted Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25) on a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.

The court, however, discharged and acquitted the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), after ruling that the prosecution failed to establish sufficient evidence linking him to the attack.

Justice Nwite held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, finding that the convicted persons were active members of a terrorist cell responsible for the assault and directly participated in the operation.

He noted that evidence presented in court established that the attackers stormed the church during a Pentecost service, held worshippers hostage, and unleashed coordinated violence that resulted in mass casualties and widespread destruction.

The court further found that the convicts used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles in executing the attack, which prosecutors said was carried out in pursuit of extremist ideological motives.

The DSS called 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements and a digital forensic report. A technophone device allegedly containing communications before and after the attack was also admitted as evidence.

A Catholic priest who survived the massacre gave an emotional testimony describing how multiple explosions were detonated inside the church, throwing worshippers into chaos as they attempted to escape.

Justice Nwite concluded that the totality of the evidence firmly linked the four convicts to the attack, justifying their conviction and sentencing.