The Federal Government is set to arraign five suspected terrorists over the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where scores of worshippers were killed.
The suspects will appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Escorted into the courtroom by operatives of the Department of State Services at about 9:05 a.m., they were identified as Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is prosecuting the case on behalf of the Federal Government. The nine-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025, was filed and signed by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants, along with others still at large, “sometime in 2021, joined and became members of AL Shabab Terrorist Group” and operated a cell in Kogi State, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In another count, they were accused of holding meetings on May 30, June 3, and June 4, 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, Adavi LGA, Kogi State, and behind Omialafa Central Mosque, Ose LGA, Ondo State, “where you agreed to and planned for the terrorist attack” later carried out on June 5, 2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo. This is alleged to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(a) of the same Act.
As of the time of filing this report, the arraignment was yet to commence.
