The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to death by hanging for their roles in the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022.
The attack, which occurred during a Pentecost service, claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers and left 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 brought against them by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.
The court, however, acquitted and discharged the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, after ruling that the prosecution failed to establish his involvement in the attack.
Justice Nwite held that the prosecution proved its case against the four convicts beyond reasonable doubt, noting that the evidence presented before the court clearly established their membership and active participation in the terrorist group responsible for the massacre.
According to the court, the convicts were key members of an Al-Shabaab terrorist cell operating in Kogi State and directly participated in the assault on the church.
The prosecution told the court that the attackers invaded the church during worship, held congregants hostage and carried out a coordinated attack that resulted in widespread casualties and destruction. The terrorists were said to have deployed improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles in executing the operation.
To support its case, the prosecution called 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements and a digital forensic report. Among the exhibits admitted was a mobile device said to contain communications exchanged by the defendants before and after the attack.
A Catholic priest who survived the incident testified before the court, recounting how the assailants detonated multiple explosive devices inside the church, causing panic and heavy casualties among worshippers.
In his judgment, Justice Nwite ruled that the totality of the evidence overwhelmingly linked the four defendants to the attack, warranting their conviction and sentence on the terrorism charges.
