Owo Massacre: Four to Die by Hanging
By Ekanem Asuquo
A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging after finding them guilty of participating in the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, in June 2022.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Wednesday, holding that the prosecution proved the terrorism charges against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
The convicted persons are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25, Al Qasim Idris, 20, Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26, and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25. They were prosecuted on a nine count charge filed by the Department of State Services on behalf of the Federal Government.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted a fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, after ruling that the evidence presented failed to establish his involvement in the attack.
According to the prosecution, the convicted men belonged to a terrorist cell operating from Kogi State and were directly involved in the assault on the Catholic church during a Pentecost service on June 5, 2022.
The attack left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured. It also caused significant damage to the church premises and sparked national outrage.
During the trial, prosecutors presented 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements, a forensic analysis report and a mobile phone allegedly used by the suspects to communicate before and after the incident.
A Catholic priest who survived the attack testified before the court, narrating how the assailants detonated several explosive devices inside the church before opening fire on worshippers.
The prosecution further alleged that the attackers used improvised explosive devices and AK 47 rifles in carrying out the operation.
After reviewing the evidence, Justice Nwite concluded that the four defendants were active participants in the terrorist attack and accordingly sentenced them to death by hanging.
The judgment brings to a close one of the most closely watched terrorism cases arising from the Owo church massacre, one of Nigeria's deadliest attacks on a place of worship in recent years.
