DSS Witness Reveals Details of Owo Church Attack

On June 5, 2022, a terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, resulted in the deaths of 41 individuals and injuries to 140 others.

A witness from the Department of State Services (DSS), identified as PW9, testified in a Federal High Court in Abuja, detailing the planning and execution of the attack. The DSS, led by Deputy Director of Terrorism Investigation, Ayodeji Adedipe, gathered intelligence that led to the arrest of five suspects in August 2022 in Kogi and Ondo States.

The suspects included Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Quasim Idri, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idri, and Momoh Otuho. The witness revealed that the attackers were affiliated with Al Shabab and the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP).

They had met on May 30, 2022, to plan the attack, which involved the use of AK-47 rifles and explosives. The court proceedings included the admission of various exhibits related to the attack, and the case was adjourned until February 18 for further cross-examination.