Five Alleged Mastermind of Owo Church Bombing Plead Not Guilty

Three years after the deadly attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, five men accused of orchestrating the massacre have pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges.

The defendants — Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdul Malik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Abubakar — were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court on Monday. The Federal Government has filed nine counts against them, alleging their membership of the Al-Shabab terrorist group with an operational cell in Kogi State.

Justice Nwite fixed August 19, 2025, for the commencement of trial and ordered that the suspects remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) until proceedings begin.

The case marks a significant step in the prosecution of those accused of carrying out one of Nigeria’s most shocking acts of terror in recent years. The attack, which occurred during Sunday Mass in 2022, left more than 40 worshippers dead and many others injured when armed men stormed the church and opened fire.

At the time, the National Security Council linked the assault to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), while the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, announced the arrest of the perpetrators.

The late Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, had condemned the incident in the strongest terms, describing it as “a crime against humanity.” He insisted that the tragedy would not break the resilience of Ondo’s people in the fight against insecurity, while renewing his call for the creation of state police.

“A single police command cannot guarantee safety in this country. We must have state police now. We are doing our best with Amotekun. But Amotekun is suffering a lot of limitations in getting all the equipment needed to fight these criminals,” he said.