By Correspondent in Abuja.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the remand of five men accused of carrying out the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Justice Emeka Nwite, sitting as a vacation judge, issued the order after the defendants were arraigned and pleaded not guilty to multiple terrorism charges filed by the Federal Government.
The accused are: Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), listed as first to fifth defendants respectively.
Our correspondent recalls that the June 5, 2022, attack claimed over 40 lives and left more than 100 worshippers injured. The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The nine-count charge against the accused,marked FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025, was filed on July 23 by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice.
When the matter came up, the prosecuting counsel, Calistus Eze, applied for the arraignment to proceed during the court’s vacation, a request Justice Nwite granted.
The charges were then read to the defendants, all of whom pleaded not guilty.
Eze sought a trial date and requested that the accused be remanded in DSS custody pending the commencement of trial.
The Defence counsel,Abdullahi Muhammad, did not oppose the request but urged the court to grant the defendants access to their relatives and lawyers, noting they had been held since 2022 without contact.
Eze responded that access is permitted upon written request, and assured that the defendants would have adequate facilities to prepare their defence.
Justice Nwite adjourned the trial to August 19 and ordered that the accused remain in DSS custody.
Prosecutors allege that the men, along with others still at large, joined the Al Shabab terrorist group in 2021, operating a cell in Kogi State in violation of Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
They are further accused of meeting in late May and early June 2022 to plan the Owo attack, and on June 5, allegedly detonating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and opening fire with AK-47 rifles on worshippers, killing over 40 people and injuring more than 100 others.
The offences carry severe penalties under multiple provisions of the Terrorism Act, 2022.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
