The Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday began proceedings against five men accused of carrying out the deadly June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The suspects – Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al-Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47 – appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on terrorism charges.

The prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ayodeji Adedipe, called its first witness, a Catholic priest who officiated the Pentecost Sunday mass during the attack. For security reasons, the court granted a request to withhold the priest’s identity.

In his testimony, the priest provided a chilling account of the assault, explaining that the attackers struck as the service was concluding. He said, “As the service was ending and the recessional hymn began, I heard a loud sound. Then I saw commotion in the church. Two men from our congregation locked the main entrance, and an elder told me, ‘Father, we are under attack.’”

The cleric recounted that the assault started with a powerful explosion, followed by sporadic gunfire. He revealed that at least three explosives were detonated, one dangerously close to a safe room where he and several children had sought shelter. He described helping to evacuate injured worshippers, including his choir master, who sustained a gunshot wound to the chest.

During cross-examination by the defence counsel, Abdullahi Mohammad, the priest maintained that he could not identify any of the attackers due to the chaos, emphasizing that his focus was on rescuing children and moving casualties to the hospital. When asked about the number of assailants, he replied, “The one struck by a vehicle doesn’t wait to take note of the vehicle’s number.”

Earlier in the session, the prosecution confirmed that the charge sheet had been amended to correct minor errors. The five defendants subsequently pleaded not guilty to the revised charges.

Justice Nwite approved an accelerated hearing schedule and adjourned the case to January 13 and 14, 2026, for continuation of the trial.