The Federal Government is set to prosecute five suspected members of the terrorist group alleged to be behind the deadly June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left scores of worshippers dead.
According to The PUNCH, the suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were brought into the Federal High Court, Abuja, around 9:05 a.m. on Monday under tight security by operatives of the Department of State Services.
According to court filings, the Attorney-General of the Federation, through the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, M.B. Abubakar, is leading the prosecution in a nine-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025.
The charges allege that the defendants, along with others still at large, joined and operated as members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group in 2021, with a cell reportedly based in Kogi State.
The prosecution claims they held planning meetings on May 30, June 3, and June 4, 2022, in Kogi and Ondo States before executing the church attack.
“Their actions violate Sections 25(1) and 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and carry severe penalties under Nigerian law,” a prosecution source told reporters.
A Federal Ministry of Justice official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “This trial is a critical step in ensuring that those responsible for one of the most shocking acts of violence in recent years are brought to justice. It also sends a message that terrorism will not be tolerated.”