DSS Witness Details Owo Church Massacre in Court

On Tuesday, a witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) testified in the Federal High Court in Abuja about the Owo church massacre that occurred on June 5, 2022. The witness detailed the roles of the five defendants—Idris Abdulmalik, Omeiza Abdulmalik, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris—in the attack that resulted in 40 deaths and injuries to 100 individuals.

The DSS, led by Deputy Director Ayodeji Adedipe, conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of the defendants in August 2022 in Kogi and Ondo States. The defendants are linked to the proscribed terrorist group ISWAP and were involved in planning the attack on St.

Francis Xavier Catholic Church. The witness described meetings held to strategize the attack, including the procurement of weapons and the execution plan, which involved a dry run of the attack prior to the actual event.