Abuja: The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four individuals to death by hanging for their involvement in the 2022 terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The court acquitted one defendant of all charges related to the attack.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Judge Emeka Nwite ruled that the Department of State Services (DSS) successfully proved the charges against the defendants. The court found the four convicted individuals to be members of a proscribed terrorist group known as ‘Al-Shabaab.’
The judgment included a conviction on count one for the 1st to 4th defendants for their affiliation with the terrorist group. Meanwhile, the 5th defendant was acquitted on this count. On count two, the prosecution’s evidence was deemed credible and the 1st to 4th defendants were convicted, while the 5th defendant was again acquitted.
The court also found the four defendants guilty on count three, identifying them as the masterminds of the attack following a meeting held on May 30, 2022. The 5th defendant was discharged and acquitted on this count as well. The same four defendants were convicted on counts four and five, while the 5th defendant was acquitted.
Regarding count six, which involved charges of financing terrorism against the 5th defendant, the prosecution failed to prove that he financed the attack, leading to his acquittal.
The convicted individuals are identified as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25. Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, was exonerated. The attack on June 5, 2022, resulted in the death of at least 41 worshippers and injuries to over 100 others.