Owo Church Attack: How We Track Down Suspected Terrorists,Witness Tells Court

By Correspondent in Abuja.

The eighth prosecution witness (PW-8) on Wednesday narrated before a Federal High Court in Abuja the efforts made to apprehend suspected terrorists who allegedly attacked St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022.

The witness, a member of the Amotekun Security Network, testified before Justice Emeka Nwite while being led in evidence by counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN.

Identified only as “SSH” for security reasons, the witness said he was among the operatives deployed to the scene of the attack.

Our correspondent reports that the DSS is prosecuting Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) on alleged terrorism charges arising from the church attack.

At least 40 worshippers were killed, while more than 100 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the incident.

Led in evidence by Adedipe, the witness recounted how his team responded to the distress call and pursued the attackers.

“On June 5, 2022, as an operative of Amotekun, we received a distress call from the anti-kidnapping squad,” he said.
“We were on an anti-kidnapping mission when we were informed of an attack at St. Francis Church, Owo. We were directed to withdraw and proceed to the church.

“On arrival, we met a large crowd but managed to gain access to the premises. Inside and around the church, we saw several lifeless bodies and injured persons, including women and children.”

According to the witness, the team later gathered information indicating that the attackers were four in number and fled the scene in a blue Nissan vehicle.

“We immediately began trailing them along Ute Road based on the information received. Our vehicle was more efficient, which enabled us to close in on them,” he said.

He added that at a point, the suspects suddenly stopped their vehicle and fled into the bush.

“One of our men and a local volunteer pursued them into the bush, while the rest of us positioned ourselves strategically,” he stated.

SSH told the court that shortly after, they heard gunshots.
“After some time, our colleague emerged from the bush and informed us that the volunteer hunter had been killed. We later recovered his body from the bush,” he said.

The witness further testified that the abandoned Nissan vehicle was taken to their office before it was subsequently moved to the Amotekun state headquarters in Akure.

During cross-examination by defence counsel, Abdullahi Mohammad, the witness said he could not recall how many officers retrieved the hunter’s body.

Asked whether efforts were made to identify the owner of the Nissan vehicle, he said: “Before we moved the vehicle to the state headquarters in Akure, the owner came to our office and identified himself.”

He, however, noted that although the vehicle owner was interviewed at their office, he was not part of the team that conducted the interview.

At the close of cross-examination, Adedipe urged the court to adjourn the matter for three consecutive days to enable the prosecution call its remaining witnesses and close its case.

The defence did not oppose the application, following which Justice Nwite adjourned the trial until March 24, 25 and 26 for continuation.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.