The Federal Government is set to arraign five suspected terrorists accused of carrying out the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where scores of worshippers lost their lives.
The suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja at about 9:05 a.m. under heavy escort from operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
They are scheduled to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite on nine counts filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
According to the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025 and signed by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions in the Federal Ministry of Justice, the accused and others still at large allegedly joined the Al Shabab terrorist group in 2021, operating a cell in Kogi State.
The prosecution alleges that the suspects held planning meetings on May 30, June 3, and June 4, 2022 — in Kogi and Ondo States — before launching the deadly attack on the Owo church. These offences are said to contravene Sections 12(a) and 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
As at the time of filing this report, proceedings were yet to commence.
