Owo Church Massacre: Court Sentences Four Terror Convicts to Death by Hanging

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their roles in the attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which resulted in the deaths of more than 40 worshippers and left over 100 others injured.

Justice Emeka Nwite found Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25, guilty on all nine counts of terrorism charges filed against them by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The charges included membership of Al-Shabab, a proscribed terrorist group linked to ISWAP, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and the killing of more than 40 worshippers during the June 2022 attack.
In delivering judgment, Justice Nwite ruled that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt in line with the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted the fifth defendant, 47-year-old Momoh Otuho Abubakar, after determining that the prosecution failed to establish any case against him.
Trial Proceedings
The trial commenced on August 1, 2025, with the DSS presenting several witnesses and evidence against the accused persons. The court admitted confessional statements made by the defendants after conducting a trial-within-trial to verify that the statements were given voluntarily.
During the proceedings, one of the convicts, Omeiza, testified in the Ebira language, prompting the court to appoint an interpreter. He identified himself as an auxiliary nurse and narrated how he was arrested on August 1, 2022, alongside two young boys, Hauwa and Yusuf.
Lead prosecution counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to impose the maximum punishment, arguing that the prosecution had thoroughly established the charges through extensive investigations and credible evidence.
Defence counsel, Abdullahi Mohammad, had requested the discharge and acquittal of the defendants, insisting that the prosecution failed to prove its case.
The attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church occurred on June 5, 2022, and sparked nationwide outrage, with many Nigerians demanding that those responsible be identified and prosecuted.