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BREAKING: Court sentences 4 Al-Shabaab members to death by hanging over Owo church attack
The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab to death by hanging over their roles in the deadly June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo.
The convicted persons — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25) — were found guilty on a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government. The fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), was discharged after the court held that there was insufficient evidence linking him to the attack.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the four convicted men were active members of a terrorist cell involved in the massacre.
The attack, which occurred during a Pentecost service, left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured, marking one of the most devastating assaults on a place of worship in recent years.
Court documents revealed that the assailants allegedly operated as part of an Al-Shabaab-linked cell based in Kogi State and used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) alongside AK-47 rifles during the invasion.
The prosecution called 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements and digital forensic reports linking communications between the defendants before and after the attack.
A Catholic priest who testified described how explosives were detonated inside the church while worshippers attempted to flee, detailing the chaos and scale of destruction during the assault.
The ruling brings a major legal conclusion to one of Nigeria’s most widely condemned terror attacks, though questions over wider networks and sponsors of the operation continue to linger.
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