The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to death by hanging for their involvement in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
The convicts, identified as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris, were found guilty on a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services on behalf of the Federal Government.
A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was discharged after the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence linking him to the attack.
Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite held that the prosecution had successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against the four convicted men.
The court found that the defendants were members of an Al-Shabaab terrorist cell operating in Kogi State and actively participated in the attack on the church during a Pentecost service. The assault resulted in the deaths of more than 40 worshippers and left over 100 others injured.
According to evidence presented before the court, the attackers used improvised explosive devices and AK-47 rifles during the operation. The prosecution argued that the attack was carried out in furtherance of the group’s extremist ideology.
To establish its case, the prosecution called 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements, digital forensic reports, and evidence obtained from a mobile phone allegedly containing communications exchanged before and after the attack.
Among those who testified was a Catholic priest who recounted how multiple explosive devices were detonated inside the church during the attack.
