Just in:Owo church attack trial reaches crucial stage as Abuja court reserves judgment

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of masterminding the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St.

Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
The decision followed the conclusion of final arguments presented by both the prosecution and defence teams.
Justice Emeka Nwite said the judgment date would be communicated to all parties, adding that notices would be issued once the court was ready, possibly within 24 hours.
The case, regarded as a major test of Nigeria’s determination to combat terrorism and mass violence, has been actively prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), which urged the court to impose the maximum punishment allowed by law.
Lead prosecuting counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), in his final address, called on the court to convict the defendants and sentence them to death, arguing that the brutality and seriousness of the attack required the full application of the law.
Adedipe maintained that the prosecution had successfully established its case against the accused persons through detailed investigations and compelling evidence. He noted that the effort reflected the resolve of security agencies to ensure justice for victims of one of the deadliest attacks on worshippers in Nigeria’s history.
Counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Mohammad, however, urged the court to discharge and acquit his clients, insisting that the prosecution failed to sufficiently prove the allegations against them.
The defendants standing trial are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
The June 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo sparked outrage across Nigeria and attracted widespread international condemnation.
Global leaders, including Pope Francis, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, condemned the attack. The UN Secretary-General and the Archbishop of Canterbury described the incident as “heinous.”
Several Nigerians, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akerodolu, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, also denounced the attack, demanding justice for the victims and stronger action against terrorism.
Former President Buhari had declared that “the country shall never give in to evil and wicked people.”