FG Arraigns Five Suspects over 2022 Owo Church Massacre

T The Federal Government has arraigned five men in connection with the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which claimed the lives of over 40 worshippers and left many others injured.

The accused — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were on Monday brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

They are facing a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation, alleging their membership in the Al-Shabaab Terrorist Group since 2021. The prosecution claims they operated a terrorist cell in Kogi State, in violation of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

According to court documents, the suspects and others still at large allegedly held planning meetings in 2022 at a Government Secondary School in Kogi State and behind a central mosque in Ondo State. These meetings allegedly culminated in the deadly church attack that shocked the nation.

The case marks another step in the ongoing prosecution of those linked to one of Nigeria’s most gruesome mass killings in recent history.

Source: X | TVC News