Owo Church Massacre: Court Sentences Four Terrorists to Death Over 2022 Catholic Church Attack

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced four terrorists to death for their roles in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed dozens of lives and left many others injured.

The four convicts were found guilty on all nine counts of terrorism-related charges brought against them by the Federal Government. They were among five suspects initially arraigned before the court.

The defendants — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were arraigned on August 11 over allegations of terrorism and conspiracy linked to the deadly church attack.

According to the prosecution, the suspects joined the Al-Shabaab terrorist group in 2021 and established a terrorist cell in Kogi State. The government further alleged that the group held several meetings in Kogi and Ondo states in 2022, where plans for the attack were coordinated.

The court heard that the terrorists used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles during the assault on worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, killing more than 40 people and injuring over 100 others.

Prosecutors argued that the attack was carried out in pursuit of the group's extremist religious ideology, contrary to the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Following the trial, the court convicted four of the defendants and sentenced them to death, bringing a significant legal milestone in the pursuit of justice for victims of one of Nigeria’s deadliest attacks on a place of worship.