Court Sentences Four Over Owo Massacre

Four men have been found guilty by a Federal High Court in Abuja for their roles in the Owo church massacre and sentenced to death by hanging.

The convicts, 25-year-old Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 20-year-old Al Qasim Idris, 26-year-old Jamiu Abdulmalik, and 25-year-old Abdulhaleem Idris, were sentenced on Wednesday in a judgment delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite.

The judge ruled that the defendants were guilty on a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).

They were convicted on charges including conspiracy to commit terrorism, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and involvement in the deadly attack on worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022.

Justice Nwite held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, relying on evidence presented at trial, including witness testimony, phone-tracking data, cell-tower records, and confessional statements.

The prosecution said the convicted men were linked to a terrorist group identified as Al-Shabaab, described in court as an affiliate of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), with operational bases in some parts of Kogi State in Nigeria’s north-central region.

The defendants had, however, pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned in August 2025.

The DSS called 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits during the trial. The witnesses included a Catholic priest who officiated the Mass during the attack, church members, Amotekun operatives, and DSS investigators with digital forensic expertise.

One survivor, who testified from a wheelchair after sustaining severe injuries, also appeared before the court.

During the trial, lead prosecution counsel Ayodeji Adedipe urged the court to impose the maximum penalty under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, while citing the gravity of the offences.