Three years after the tragic bombing of Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, five men accused of orchestrating the attack have appeared in court to face charges of terrorism.
The defendants — Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdul Malik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Abubakar — stood before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court on Monday. They entered pleas of not guilty to nine counts brought against them by the Federal Government, which alleges they belong to an Al-Shabab cell operating out of Kogi State.
Justice Nwite has scheduled the trial to begin on August 19, 2025, and ordered that all five remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) until proceedings commence.
Their arraignment follows the announcement made back in 2022 by the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, who stated that those responsible for the church massacre had been apprehended. The National Security Council had earlier linked the incident to members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The attack, carried out during a Sunday mass, left more than 40 worshippers dead and many others injured. Armed men stormed the church, opening fire on the congregation in what became one of the deadliest assaults in the state’s history.
Reacting at the time, the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu described the incident as a crime against humanity, vowing that the resolve of the people would not be broken. He renewed calls for the creation of state police, arguing that a single national command could not guarantee the safety of Nigerians.
“We are doing our best with Amotekun,” he had said, “but the outfit faces too many limitations without the right tools to combat these criminals.”
