Four years after a horrific massacre shocked the nation, the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to death by hanging for their roles in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the verdict after convicting Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25) on a nine-count terrorism charge.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted a fifth defendant, 47-year-old Momoh Abubakar, citing insufficient evidence linking him to the tragedy.
The deadly assault, which occurred during a Sunday Pentecost service, left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured.
The prosecution successfully argued that the convicts were principal members of an Al-Shabaab terrorist cell operating out of Kogi State who unleashed violence in furtherance of an extremist religious ideology.
Armed with AK-47 rifles and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the attackers stormed the sanctuary, held terrified congregants hostage, and detonated at least three explosives inside the building, creating a scene of unprecedented panic and bloodshed.
To secure the convictions, the Department of State Services (DSS) presented a robust case comprising 11 witnesses and 23 exhibits.
Among the critical evidence admitted by the court were confessional statements, a digital forensic examination report, and a mobile device containing communication exchanged by the defendants both before and after the massacre.
Justice Nwite ruled that the totality of the evidence firmly established the guilt of the four young men beyond a reasonable doubt, proving their active participation in the calculated slaughter.
Reacting to the landmark judgment, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, hailed the verdict as a triumph for the rule of law and a victory for the victims and their families.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the governor praised the diligence of the investigators and the courage of the judiciary, stating that the ruling sends a clear message that Nigeria will not tolerate acts of terror.
Similarly, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, expressed immense relief for his community, noting that while the judgment brings closure, security agencies must remain vigilant and continue to prosecute anyone directly or indirectly connected to such atrocities.
Despite the sense of justice served, the emotional scars of the tragedy continue to run deep within the Christian community.
The Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Jude Arogundade, commended the court’s decision but lamented the irreplaceable loss, noting that the anniversary of the attack serves as a painful reminder of the 41 lives brutally cut short. “The law may have taken its course, but we are left to continue to nurse the wounds,” Bishop Arogundade remarked, highlighting the enduring trauma of survivors, including a local seminarian who lost both parents in the assault.
