Owo Church Attackers Sentenced to Death
A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their involvement in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, one of the deadliest attacks on a place of worship in Nigeria’s recent history.
Justice Emeka Nwite convicted Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris on multiple terrorism-related charges, including terrorism financing, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and the use of explosives that resulted in deaths and injuries. The court also handed each of the convicts life imprisonment for membership of a terrorist organisation and an additional 20-year jail term for conspiracy.
A fifth defendant was discharged and acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence linking him to the attack.
The attack on St. Francis Catholic Church during a Pentecost Sunday service in June 2022 left dozens of worshippers dead and many others injured, drawing nationwide and international condemnation.
The judgment followed a lengthy trial initiated by the Department of State Services (DSS), which had urged the court to impose the maximum penalty on the suspects. The ruling is being viewed as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to prosecute terrorism-related offences and deliver justice to victims of violent attacks.
