The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday sentenced four men to death by hanging for their roles in the 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, that left over 40 worshippers killed and about 141 others injured.
The four men are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25.
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They were convicted of terrorism offences, including belonging to a terrorist organisation known as “Al-Shabaab” operating in parts of Kogi and Ondo states under the coordination of one “Adoba”, attending meetings for the planning of the terrorist attack, hostage taking and attacking the congregation explosives resulting in death, grievous bodily harm, and destruction.
Judge Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence after convicting the four men on nine terrorism-related charges in his judgement on Wednesday following about nine months of trial that started in August last year.
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He discharged and acquitted Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, who is the fifth defendant and the oldest among the five defendants prosecuted for the bloody, fatal attack on the church in JUne 2022.
About 40 worshippers were killed and 141 others were said to be injured during the 5 June 2022 Sunday mass attack on the church in Owo in the northern part of Ondo State.
Having found the four men guilty of the nine counts, the judge imposed life imprisonment on them for one of the charges. He also imposed 20 years imprisonment without option of fine on the convicts on counts two and three.
He imposed death sentences on counts four, five, six, eight and nine.
The judge ordered that the convicts be “hanged by the neck until death.” “May the Lord have mercy on your souls,” he ruled.
Mr Nwite delivered the judgement in the terrorism case after reviewing evidence presented by the prosecution and defence over three hours.
“The prosecution has successfully established the nine-count charge against the first, second, third and fourth defendants beyond reasonable doubt,” he ruled.
The trial
The attack occurred during a Pentecost Sunday Mass at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo in June 2022.
Gunmen reportedly opened fire and detonated explosives inside and around the church, killing at least 41 worshippers and injuring more than 140 others. The incident triggered national outrage and condemnation from local and international bodies.
However , the defendants were arraigned in August last year, about three years after the attack, on terrorism charges filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
Prosecutors alleged that the suspects belonged to an Al Shabaab cell operating in Kogi State and that they planned and carried out the deadly church attack as part of a violent religious agenda. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The trial formally opened in December 2025 when the prosecution called its first witness, a Catholic priest who conducted the Mass on the day of the attack. Under a court approved witness protection arrangement, many of the witnesses testified with coded identities.
During the proceedings, survivors of the attack, church members, Amotekun operatives, and SSS investigators testified before the court. Some witnesses narrated how the attackers stormed the church and opened fire on worshippers attempting to flee. Others described the aftermath of the attack and the efforts made to track down the suspects.
One of the prosecution witnesses identified two of the defendants in court as part of the attackers he saw inside the church during the assault. Another witness, who testified in a wheelchair, told the court she lost both legs and one eye after explosives detonated during the attack.
The prosecution eventually closed its case after calling 11 witnesses. The final prosecution witness, an SSS digital forensic expert identified as SSK, told the court that investigators used phone tracking, geospatial analysis, and cell tower triangulation to trace and arrest the suspects.
During the trial, the court also conducted a trial-within-trial after the defence challenged the admissibility of the defendants’ confessional statements. The defence argued that the statements were obtained under duress. However, Judge Nwite admitted the statements in evidence after ruling on the objections.
Denial
The defence later opened its case and urged the court to reject the prosecution’s evidence and acquit the defendants.
On 4 March, the first defendant, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Led in evidence by his lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammed, the 25 year old auxiliary nurse denied involvement in the Owo church attack.
Mr Omeiza narrated how State Security Service (SSS) operatives allegedly arrested him at his residence in Kogi State on 1 August 2022 after they stormed the house around 2 a.m. He said the operatives later moved him to Ondo State and repeatedly asked him to confess to involvement in the attack.
“They asked me to tell the truth, but I said I had nothing to tell them,” he told the court.
Mr Omeiza alleged that the operatives chained and beat him until he fainted and later forced him to sign statements. He insisted that the statements were not voluntary.
Also, in March, another defendant, Mr Abdulmalik, denied involvement in the church attack while testifying in his defence. He told the court that SSS operatives arrested him in 2022 while he travelled from Ondo State to Kogi State.
Mr Abdulmalik alleged that he was tortured in custody and forced to sign statements implicating him in the attack. He maintained that he had no connection with the incident.
Conviction
In his judgement on Wednesday, the judge held that after a careful review of the evidence presented by the prosecution and the defence, it was “clear” that the four convicted men belonged to a proscribed terrorist group known as “Al-Shabaab” operating in parts of Kogi and Ondo states under the coordination of one “Adoba.”
The judge said the evidence of the prosecution witness was not shaken, while their confessional statements corroborated the prosecution’s case.
“From the foregoing, it is clear as day that the first, second, third and fourth defendants belong to a proscribed terrorist group, Al-Shabaab,” Judge Nwite ruled.
On count two, which accused the defendants of attending meetings where the Owo church attack was planned, the judge said the prosecution proved that meetings were held on “30 May, 1 June, and 4 June 2022 at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, Kogi State, and at a local mosque where the second defendant’s father served as chief imam.”
“According to the prosecution, the meetings were organised to plan the attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo,” the judge said. “The evidence by the prosecution witness was neither shaken nor discredited under cross examination.”
He added that the evidence was corroborated “by the confessional statements of Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris.”
Mr Abubakar, who was acquitted, denied attending any meeting connected to the attack, and the judge held in his judgement that the prosecution failed to link him to the meetings.
The judge also convicted the four men of conspiracy, aiding and abetting terrorism.
“The court can infer conspiracy from the acts of the defendants towards the commission of the offence,” Mr Nwite ruled, also citing the forensic evidence tendered by the prosecution.
The judge said the evidence showed direct communication among the defendants within months leading to the attack.
“The inference to be drawn from the evidence before the court is that the first to the fourth defendant conspired with Adoba and others,” the judge ruled.
He held that the evidence led by the prosecution remained unshaken during cross examination.
The judge said Mr Abubakar was not linked to the conspiracy.
The court then turned to counts four and five, which alleged hostage taking, kidnapping, hijacking, and possession of dangerous weapons.
He reviewed provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act relating to seizure of facilities, threats to life, and hostage taking resulting in death.
He said evidence showed that worshippers at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church were attacked during service, leading to the death of more than 40 persons and injuries to over 140 others.
Citing the testimonies of victims and other prosecution witnesses, who testified during trial, the judge said, “The evidence by the prosecution witnesses was neither shaken nor discredited.”
Regarding the sixth count in which the prosecution accused the defendants of terrorism financing and possession and use of dangerous weapons. The charge specifically alleged that Mr Abubakar acted as a financial channel for the group and distributed funds before the attack through his point-of-sale terminals.
But the judge said prosecution witness identified as SSI told the court that about N800,000 moved through accounts linked to Mr Abubakar weeks before the incident.
The prosecution also alleged that Mr Abubakar maintained communication with members of the group during the period.
However, Mr Abubakar denied the allegations.
Judge Nwite held that the prosecution failed to establish the terrorism financing allegation against Mr Abubakar beyond reasonable doubt.
“I hold the view that the prosecution has not proved the case against the fifth defendant beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge ruled before discharging and acquitting him on count six.
The judge, however, held that the prosecution proved the charge against Messrs Omeiza, Idris, Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris.
He also convicted the four men and acquitted Mr Abubakar of the rest of the counts seven to nine involving allegations of use and detonation of explosives at a public place resulting in death, grievous bodily harm, and destruction.
Judge Nwite held that the prosecution established that the explosions caused deaths, injuries, and destruction within the church premises.
The defendants denied involvement and challenged the admissibility of their alleged confessional statements.
Some of the defendants argued that interpreters were not called as witnesses and alleged that SSS operatives forced them to sign statements after torture.
They also challenged parts of the eyewitness testimony presented by the prosecution.
But judge Emeka Nwite held that the confessional statements were valid and voluntarily made, rejecting claims that they were written and forced on the defendants by SSS operatives.
He noted that the statements were signed and thumb-printed and not challenged in court.
He described forensic digital evidence and call records showing repeated communication between key defendants before and after the attack as strong circumstantial evidence forming a chain of guilt.
The judge said eyewitnesses and investigators gave consistent evidence that remained unshaken under cross examination.
Reactions
Shortly after the judgement, prosecution lawyers, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ayodeji Adedipe, praised the federal government for securing the convictions.
READ ALSO: Judge delivering judgement in trial of five defendants for Owo church terrorist attack
He said the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and insisted that justice had been served for the victims, the injured, and families who lost loved ones during the Owo attack.
He also said the team would review the case of the fifth defendant.
Meanwhile, the fifth defendant, Mr Abubakar, who was discharged and acquitted, expressed relief after the judgement. He advised young people to avoid engaging in terrorism.
On the other hand, defence lawyer Abdullahi Mohammed told journalists that the convicts did not commit the offences. He said the defence would study the judgement before taking further legal steps.
The convicted defendants, Omeiza, Idris, Abdulmalik, and Idris, who maintained straight faces throughout the proceedings, maintained their “innocence” after the judgement was delivered. They said said they were wrongly convicted.
The attack
The attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, took place on 5 June 2022 during Pentecost Sunday Mass. Armed men stormed the church while worshippers were gathered for service.
The attack, in which at least 41 worshippers died and 141 others injured, triggered nationwide outrage and renewed concern over the spread of violent extremism to southern Nigeria. Security agencies later launched investigations that led to the arrest and prosecution of the suspects.
However , the defendants were arraigned in August last year, about three years after the attack, on terrorism charges filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
