Court to Rule on Owo Church Terror Attack Case Today

The Federal High Court in Abuja is scheduled to deliver a judgment on a terrorism case involving the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left 42 people dead and over 100 injured. The five defendants—Idris Abdulmalik, Omeiza Abdulmalik, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar—are accused of being members of a foreign terrorist group and participating in the deadly assault.

Justice Emeka Nwite is expected to announce the verdict after hearing testimonies from nine witnesses from the Department of State Services (DSS), who testified against the defendants. The defendants have denied involvement in the attack, which involved the use of improvised explosive devices and AK-47 rifles, leading to mass casualties.

The charges include joining a terrorist group, with potential penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death sentence under the Terrorism Prevention Prohibition Act of 2022. Security measures around the court premises have been significantly tightened in anticipation of the judgment.