The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of involvement in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which left 41 worshippers dead.

Justice Emeka Nwite announced on Tuesday that judgment would be delivered on a date to be communicated to both the prosecution and defence counsel after the adoption of final written addresses by the parties in the case.

The prosecution counsel, representing the Department of State Services, urged the court to convict the defendants and impose the maximum punishment of death, citing the severity of the attack and its impact on the victims and the nation.

However, defence counsel asked the court to discharge and acquit the accused persons, arguing that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The defendants facing trial are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.

The DSS had called 11 witnesses during the trial, which began in August 2025, while the court also admitted confessional statements after a trial-within-trial to determine their voluntariness.

The attack, which occurred on June 5, 2022, left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 140 others injured, making it one of the deadliest assaults in recent Nigerian history.