‎Court Sentences 4 Al-Shabaab Terrorists to Death by Hanging Over Owo Church Attack

The Federal High Court in Abuja has 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 where over 40 worshippers were killed.
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‎ The court convicted Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris on nine counts of terrorism brought by the Department of State Services (DSS), on behalf of the Federal Government. The fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was acquitted due to lack of evidence connecting him to the offence.
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‎Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite held that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that evidence presented before the court established the defendants’ membership and active involvement in the terr%rist group, including their participation in the Owo church attack.
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‎The deadly attack occurred during a Pentecost service and claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers, while over 100 others sustained injuries.
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‎According to the prosecution, the convicts were key members of an Al-Shabaab cell operating in Kogi State and carried out the attack using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles. The court heard that the assaliants invaded the church, held worshippers hostage, and caused widespread destruction.
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‎To support its case, the prosecution called 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including confessional statements, a digital forensic report, and a mobile phone allegedly containing communications exchanged by the defendants before and after the attack.
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‎Among those who testified was a Catholic priest who recounted the events of the incident and told the court that multiple explosive devices were detonated inside the church during the attack.
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