Court Admits Evidence in Owo Church Attack Case

On Thursday, the Federal High Court in Abuja admitted a confessional statement and evidence concerning the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which resulted in at least 40 fatalities and numerous injuries.

The trial involves five defendants: Idri Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idri (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idri (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47). The trial commenced on August 1, 2025, and is noted as one of the fastest prosecutions by Nigerian security agencies.

The Department of State Services (DSS) presented 11 witnesses against the defendants, detailing the forensic methods used to trace and apprehend them. Evidence included a black Tecno mobile phone belonging to the first defendant, which was linked to the planning and coordination of the attack through call data analysis.

The court heard that the defendants communicated frequently in the lead-up to the attack, indicating premeditated involvement.