By Ayodele Oni
Three years after, the Federal Government on Monday arraigned five men on terrorism charge before a Federal High Court in Abuja on their alleged involvement in the June 5, 2022 attack at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State.
The five persons – Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar – are to face trial for the attack, which claimed over 40 lives and left over 100 individuals injured.
The five accused were arraigned on a nine-count terrorism charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025 filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).
They are, in the charge, accused among others, of being members of Al Shabab terrorist group, with cell in Kogi State.
The accused are also alleged to have carried out the attack in furtherance of their religious ideology.
Some counts in the charge read: “That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church , Owo, Ondo State, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, did detonate Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which caused grievous bodily harm to over 100 persons, including: Onuchukwu Happiness, Ogungbade Vivan and Nnakwe Paschaline Ugochinyerem and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 42(a)(i) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
They pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them by an official of the court.
Following the not guilty plea by the five accused, prosecuting lawyer, Calistus Eze, urged the court to order that they be remanded in the custody of the DSS pending trial.
Defence lawyer Abdullahi Muhammad, however, prayed the court to order the DSS to grant the defendants’ families and their lawyers access to them.
Muhammad said the accused had been in custody since 2022 when they were arrested and had not had access to family members and their lawyers.
Eze said it was the standard practice that detainees’ family members and lawyers should be granted access after a formal written request.
He noted that it had become inevitable at this stage that the defendants be allowed access to their lawyers to enable them to prepare their defence.
Ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that the accused be remanded in the custody of the DSS. The Judge also ordered that the DSS should grant the defendants access to members of their families and their lawyers.
He then adjourned until August 19 for the commencement of trial.
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