The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their involvement in the 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State.
The convicts, identified as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris, were found guilty of terrorism charges filed by the Federal Government through the Department of State Services.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who delivered the judgment on Wednesday, held that the prosecution presented sufficient evidence linking the defendants to the attack and their activities within a terrorist network.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted a fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, after ruling that the evidence presented against him was inadequate to secure a conviction.
The June 5, 2022 attack occurred during a Pentecost service at St. Francis Catholic Church, where gunmen opened fire and detonated explosives, killing scores of worshippers and injuring many others.
In the course of the trial, the prosecution maintained that the convicted persons were members of a terrorist cell operating from Kogi State and played active roles in the planning and execution of the assault.
According to court records, the attackers stormed the church premises armed with rifles and explosive devices, causing widespread casualties and destruction.
To support its case, the prosecution presented 11 witnesses and tendered 23 exhibits, including alleged confessional statements, forensic analysis reports and electronic evidence recovered during investigations.
Among the evidence admitted by the court was a mobile device said to contain communications exchanged by the suspects before and after the attack.
A Catholic priest who survived the incident also testified during the proceedings, recounting how explosions rocked the church while worshippers were observing the service.
After reviewing the evidence and testimonies, Justice Nwite concluded that the prosecution had established the guilt of the four defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
Consequently, the court sentenced them to death by hanging on the terrorism counts for which they were convicted.
The judgment brings to a close one of the most high-profile terrorism trials arising from the deadly attack that shocked the nation and drew widespread condemnation within and outside Nigeria.
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