The Federal Government is set to arraign five suspected terrorists linked to the June 5, 2022, attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed the lives of many worshippers.
The suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were brought into the Federal High Court in Abuja at about 9:05am on Monday under heavy escort by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
They are to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite on a nine-count charge filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) in case number FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025. The prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecutions M.B. Abubakar, alleges that the defendants, alongside others still at large, joined the Al-Shabab terrorist group in 2021 and operated a cell in Kogi State.
According to the charge, they allegedly held meetings on May 30, June 3, and June 4, 2022, in Kogi and Ondo states, where they planned the deadly church attack. The offences are said to contravene Sections 12(a) and 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
As at the time of filing this report, the arraignment had yet to commence.
