Owo church massacre trial: DSS submits evidence, prepares 10 witnesses against five suspects

The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced its intention to call ten witnesses and submit documentary evidence in the ongoing trial of five individuals accused of orchestrating the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, an incident that left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 injured.

Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, counsel for the DSS representing the federal government, revealed this on Tuesday following the testimonies of the second and third prosecution witnesses before Justice Emeka Nwite.

The accused are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), all of whom are being prosecuted by the DSS.

Read also: DSS arrests suspected weapons supplier in Plateau

Earlier, the second prosecution witness, identified by the code SSB, a retired resident of Owo, told the court that on June 5, 2022, just as the mass was nearing its end, gunmen stormed the church, firing sporadically, killing more than 40 parishioners and seriously injuring over 100 others.

SSB provided a detailed account of the attack, noting that four explosions occurred that day, causing significant damage to the church building.

“I was among the survivors and was invited to the DSS office in Akure on May 26, 2024, where I provided a written statement,” the witness said while being examined by Adedipe.

During cross-examination by Abdullahi Mohammad, defense counsel, SSB acknowledged that he was aware that the first prosecution witness, SSA, the priest who officiated the mass that day, had already testified.

The third prosecution witness, SSC, who sustained serious injuries to her leg during the attack, recounted her experience to the court.

She said she was in shock when the gunshots and explosions began. “I ran toward the altar and met Brother Chinedu, who laid me on the floor.

While we were down, the gunmen approached the altar and asked if we understood why they were attacking. I lifted my head to look at one of them, and he said, ‘You who are looking at me, you will die immediately,’ then placed a dynamite next to my head and left,” she explained.

SSC stated that as she tried to move away from the device, she did not realize her left leg had not fully moved, and the dynamite exploded, severely injuring it. With the court’s permission, SSC displayed her damaged leg, which she said had undergone four surgeries since the incident.

The statements provided by the second and third witnesses at the DSS office in Akure were admitted as Exhibits B and C, respectively.

Following the cross-examination of SSC, the court adjourned until Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 12 noon for the continuation of the trial.

The five defendants face a nine-count terrorism charge (FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025) filed by the DSS. They are accused, among other allegations, of belonging to the Al Shabab terrorist group, which operates a cell in Kogi State.

Having been in DSS custody since their arrest in 2022, the accused are also alleged to have carried out the church attack to advance their religious ideology. They pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.

According to the charges, the accused are alleged to have joined the Al Shabab terrorist group in 2021 and attended meetings in Kogi and Ondo States on May 30 and June 4, 2022, where they planned the June 5 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church.

They are further accused of attacking worshippers with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and AK-47 rifles, causing grievous harm to more than 100 people, and of possessing explosives and firearms that led to the deaths of over 40 individuals.

The charges also allege that the accused detonated explosives with intent to cause death and to inflict grievous bodily harm on more than 100 people.