Three years after the gruesome massacre at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, the Federal Government has arraigned five men alleged to be behind the deadly attack that claimed more than 40 lives.
The suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdul Malik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Abubakar — were brought before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday.
They pleaded not guilty to nine counts of terrorism, which also accused them of belonging to the Al-Shabab terrorist group with a cell in Kogi State.
The court ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and fixed August 19, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
Their arraignment comes years after the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, announced their arrest in 2022. At the time, the National Security Council had linked the attack to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The June 5, 2022 attack left worshippers traumatised after gunmen stormed the church during Sunday mass, opening fire and detonating explosives. Over 40 people were killed, and many others sustained serious injuries.
The then Governor of Ondo State, the late Rotimi Akeredolu, condemned the killings, calling it a crime against humanity and renewing calls for the establishment of state police.
“A single police command cannot guarantee safety in this country. We must have state police now. We are doing our best with Amotekun. But Amotekun is suffering a lot of limitations in getting all the equipment needed to fight these criminals,” Akeredolu had said.
