Nigerian Govt Charges Five Suspected Al-Shabab Terrorists for 2022 Owo Church Attack

The Federal Government has arraigned five men accused of carrying out the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured.

The suspects — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — appeared before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday. They face nine counts of terrorism filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

According to prosecutors, the defendants are members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group operating from a cell in Kogi State. The court heard that they met and planned the deadly assault as part of their extremist ideology, using IEDs and AK-47 rifles to attack Sunday mass.

All five pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecution and Defence Arguments

Lead prosecutor, Calistus Eze, asked the court to keep the suspects in DSS custody until their trial begins. Defence lawyer, Abdullahi Muhammad, requested that the defendants be allowed access to their families and legal representatives, noting they had been held since 2022 without such contact.

Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that the DSS continue to hold the defendants, but must grant them access to both family members and lawyers. The trial is set to begin on August 19, 2025.

The Charges in Brief

The nine-count indictment accuses the suspects of:

Membership in the Al-Shabab terrorist group

Holding planning meetings in Kogi and Ondo States before the attack

Killing over 40 worshippers and injuring over 100 others

Possessing and detonating IEDs with the intent to kill or cause harm

The massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church shocked Nigeria and drew widespread condemnation both locally and internationally.