Five suspected members of the Al Shabab terrorist group, accused of masterminding the June 5, 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to grant them bail.
The defendants, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, are standing trial on a nine-count charge of terrorism.
They are currently being held by the Department of State Services.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the suspects, through their lawyer Abdullahi Muhammad, urged the court to order their release, arguing that they were willing to present credible sureties and would not evade trial.
However, the prosecution, led by Dr. Calistus Eze, strongly opposed the application, warning that the seriousness of the charges and potential punishment made the defendants a flight risk.
He asked the court to reject the bail request and instead fast-track the trial.
Justice Emeka Nwite, sitting as a vacation judge, reserved ruling on the bail application and adjourned the matter.
Earlier in the day, the court granted a request by the prosecution to shield the identities of witnesses in the case. Justice Nwite ruled that the names and personal details of the witnesses should not be disclosed during trial, following an ex parte application filed by the DSS.
The Federal Government has also appointed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adedeji Adedipe, to lead the prosecution team, after the Attorney-General of the Federation issued a fiat to that effect.
According to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025, the defendants are alleged to be members of an Al Shabab terrorist cell based in Kogi State.
They reportedly held meetings in May and June 2022 to plan the Owo attack, during which worshippers were assaulted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles.
The assault on the church claimed more than 40 lives and left over 100 others injured. The prosecution maintains that the attack was carried out in furtherance of the defendants’ extremist ideology.
The court had earlier directed the DSS to allow the suspects access to their families and lawyers to enable them prepare their defence.
