Four Convicted, Sentenced to Death by Hanging Over Owo Catholic Church Massacre

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced four persons to death by hanging for their involvement in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State.

Global Mirror News gathered that the judgment was delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, who found the defendants guilty of carrying out the deadly attack that left dozens of worshippers dead and many others injured during a church service.

The convicts — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25 — were among five suspects arraigned before the court on a nine-count charge bordering on terrorism and related offences filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The prosecution told the court that the defendants played active roles in the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, which resulted in the deaths of about 40 worshippers and left more than 100 others with varying degrees of injuries.

The horrific incident, which occurred during Sunday worship, sparked widespread outrage across Nigeria and attracted international condemnation, with calls for the perpetrators to be identified and brought to justice.

After reviewing the evidence presented by the prosecution, Justice Nwite convicted the four defendants and sentenced them to death by hanging.

However, the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, was discharged and acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence linking him to the crime.

The Owo church attack remains one of the deadliest assaults on a place of worship in Nigeria’s recent history, prompting intensified security operations and investigations by relevant authorities.

The conviction and sentencing of the four suspects mark a significant milestone in the quest for justice for the victims and their families nearly four years after the tragic incident.