Federal High Court convicts four terrorists for deadly attack that killed over 40 worshippers at Saint Francis Catholic ChurchYour Attractive Heading
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their roles in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers and left over 100 others injured.
The convicts, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris were found guilty on a nine-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), including terrorism, membership of a proscribed terrorist group, conspiracy, kidnapping, hostage-taking and murder. Justice Nwite ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the defendants on all counts. A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was however discharged and acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence linking him to the crimes.
The attack on the Catholic church in Owo sparked national outrage and widespread condemnation across Nigeria, with calls for justice for the victims and their families. During the trial, which began in August 2025, the DSS presented witnesses and evidence, including confessional statements admitted by the court after a trial-within-trial established that they were voluntarily made.
In his final address, prosecuting counsel Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN) urged the court to impose the maximum penalty due to the gravity of the offence, describing the attack as one of the deadliest assaults on innocent worshippers in Nigeria’s history. Delivering judgment, Justice Nwite agreed with the prosecution’s position and handed down the death sentence, bringing a major legal chapter in the high-profile terrorism case to a close.