No fewer than five suspected masterminds of the bloody attack on St. Francs Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State on June 5, 2022 have been arraigned in court.
The suspects, who had since been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) after their arrest, were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja by the secret police on Monday.
Salient Times had reported that at least 41 members of the church were killed while 69 worshippers were injured in the attack as bandits threw some explosives to the church.
After the attack, the then President, late Muhammadu Buhari, ordered immediate manhunt for the attackers after which the DSS swung into action and arrested five persons.
The arrested suspects, according to the secret police, were suspected members Al-Shabab terrorist group, with their slipper cell in Kogi State.
A security official told Our Correspondent that investigations carried so far revealed that four of the five suspects had confessed to the attack, while the fifth person was a willing accomplice.
According to the official, who did not want his name in print, the case is part of efforts to dispense many prolonged cases at the DSS, and also check prolonged investigations.
The five defendants were arraigned on a nine-count terrorism charge in a suit filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) and marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025.
The defendants are: Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
In the charge, they were accused, among others, of being members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group, with cell in Kogi State. They were also alleged to have carried out the attack in furtherance of their religious ideology.
Some counts in the charge read: “That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar adults, males, with others still at large, sometime in 2021, did join and became members of AL Shabab Terrorist Group, with cell in Kogi State and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25(1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 30th May, 2022; 37 June, 2022 and 4 June, 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, Adavi LGA, Kogi State and behind Omialafa Central Mosque, Ose LGA, Ondo State, respectively, attended and held meetings, where you agreed to and planned for the terrorist attack, which you carried out on 5™ June, 2022, at St. Francs Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12(a) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, with intent to further your religious ideology and while armed with IEDs and AK 47 rifles, did attack worshippers, held them hostage and in the process, caused grievous bodily harm to over 100 persons, including Onileke Ayodele, John Blessing, Nselu Esther and Ogungbade Peter and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(a) of the same Act.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, had in your possession IEDs and AK 47 rifles, with which you attacked worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, held them hostage, killed over 40 persons and caused grievous bodily harm to over 100 persons and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2(1)(2) and (3)(v) and punishable under Section 24(1) and (2) of TPPA, 2022.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, with intent to cause death, did detonate Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which led to the death of over 40 persons, including: Ajanaku John; Onuoha Deborah; Onileke Esther and John Bosede and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 42 (a)(ii) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church , Owo, Ondo State, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, did detonate Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which caused grievous bodily harm to over 100 persons, including: Onuchukwu Happiness, Ogungbade Vivan and Nnakwe Paschaline Ugochinyerem and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 42(a)(i) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.
Following their not guilty plea, the prosecutor, Calistus Eze, urged the court to order their remand in the custody pending trial.
However, the defence counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad, prayed the court to order the DSS to grant the defendants’ families and their lawyers access to them.
Muhammad argued that the defendants had been in custody since 2022 when they were arrested and have not had access to their family members and lawyers.
Corroborating Muhammad’s argument, Eze said it was the standard practice that detainees’ family members and lawyers be granted access after a formal written request.
He noted that it has become inevitable at this stage that the defendants be allowed access to their lawyers to enable them prepare their defence.
In his ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody, and adjourned till August 19 for the commencement of trial.
