One of the five suspects facing trial over the 5 June 2022 fatal attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, on Wednesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how he was arrested by operatives by the State Security Service (SSS).
Idris Omeiza, who opened his defence, gave evidence before Judge Emeka Nwite while being led by his lawyer, Abdullahi Muhammad.
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He testified in Ebira language, which a court official interpreted into English.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that more than 40 worshippers died and over 150 were injured in the attack during the church’s Pentecost Mass.
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The other defendants facing prosecution over the incident are Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47.
The prosecution announced it was closing its case after the 11th prosecution witness concluded his testimony on 18 February.
The defence was then scheduled to open on 4 and 5 March.
The trial court had admitted the confessional statements of the defendants after a trial-within-trial conducted to ascertain the voluntariness of the extra-judicial statements credited to the defendants.
The SSS had requested an accelerated hearing, which the court granted.
How the suspect was arrested
At the resumed trial on Wednesday, Mr Omeiza, who said he is an auxiliary nurse, told the court he was arrested on 1 August 2022 alongside two other young boys, Hauwa and Yusuf, at the same house.
“The night I was arrested, I usually woke up in the morning to read my book. When I woke up and was reading, I looked at the clock; it was 2:26 a.m.
“When I heard noises, I dropped my book, opened the window and saw a group of people dressed in black, covering their faces. They forced open the door and entered,” he said.
He added that the operatives were asking for his elder brother, Jamiu.
“There was a door close to my room, and there were too many small boys there. They arrested them,” he said, naming the boys as Awal and Yusuf.
Mr Omeiza told the court he met the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, at the SSS facility in Lokoja, Kogi State, where he had also been detained.
At the office, he said the four of them were kept in a room while operatives recorded information about their names, schools, occupations, and their fathers’ names.
He added that he volunteered a statement the next day and remained in detention until 18 August 2022, when he learned his elder brother had also been arrested.
Mr Omeiza said before 18 August, when they were moved to Ondo State, the SSS had not questioned him about the Owo church attack or membership of ISWAP or any other terror group.
At the Ondo State SSS office, he said he was detained alongside his elder brother in the same room, where interrogators questioned them about the Owo church attack.
Judge Nwite adjourned the case until 6 March for continuation of the defendant’s testimony.
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