FG to Arraign Five Suspects Over 2022 Owo Church Massacre

August 12, 2025

By Ayinde Adeleke

The Federal Government is set to arraign five men alleged to be behind the June 5, 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which claimed numerous lives and left several others injured.

The accused — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja at about 9:05 a.m. on Monday under heavy security provided by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS). They are expected to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite for formal arraignment.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the Federal Government. The nine-count charge, numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025, was filed and signed by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The prosecution alleges that the defendants, along with others still at large, became members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group in 2021 and operated a terror cell in Kogi State, in contravention of Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

In a separate charge, the suspects are accused of holding strategy meetings on May 30, June 3, and June 4, 2022, at various locations — including Government Secondary School, Ogamirana in Adavi LGA, Kogi State, and behind Omialafa Central Mosque in Ose LGA, Ondo State — where they allegedly planned the deadly church attack. This offence is punishable under Section 12(a) of the same Act.

As of press time, the court proceedings were yet to commence.