Nigeria: Owo Church Attack: Federal High Court sentences four terrorists to death by hanging
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, June 4, 2026, convicted and sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to death by hanging for their roles in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment in a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services, DSS, on behalf of the Federal Government. The court found Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25, guilty of carrying out the assault. A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, was discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence linking him to the attack.
Justice Nwite held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the four convicts belonged to and actively participated in the activities of the terrorist cell. The court accepted as evidence confessional statements attributed to the defendants, as well as a Digital Forensic Examination Report from a Tecno phone allegedly containing communications exchanged before and after the attack.
The defendants had denied making the confessional statements, alleging coercion. Justice Nwite overruled their objections, noting that their signatures and thumbprints appeared on the documents and that defence counsel did not successfully controvert the prosecution’s claim.
Some of the convicts testified in their defence and pleaded not guilty. Omeiza, who identified himself as an auxiliary nurse, told the court he was arrested in Kogi State on August 1, 2022, and alleged he was beaten in detention until he fainted. He denied involvement in the Owo attack.
The attack occurred on Pentecost Sunday, June 5, 2022, as worshippers gathered at St. Francis Catholic Church. According to court testimony, the convicts, described as principal members of an Al-Shabaab cell operating in Kogi State, invaded the church, held worshippers hostage, and used improvised explosive devices, IEDs, and AK-47 rifles. The assault left more than 40 people dead and over 100 others injured, with extensive damage to the church building.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State described the verdict as “a victory for justice, the rule of law, and for all victims of the attack.” In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the governor said the judgment sends a clear message that those who take innocent lives will face the full weight of the law.
The Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, also welcomed the conviction, calling it “justice served.” He urged governors to fulfil their constitutional duty by signing death warrants when necessary, arguing that indefinite detention of convicts imposes a financial burden on the state.
Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Rev. Jude Arogundade, said the church continues to nurse the wounds of survivors and families of the 41 worshippers killed. “The law may have taken its course, but we are left to continue to nurse the wounds of those who are scarred by that attack,” he said.
Defence counsel Abdullahi Mohammad said he would appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal. Federal Government lawyer Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, said the prosecution would review the acquittal of the fifth defendant to determine whether to appeal.
