The Department of State Services has welcomed the conviction and death sentences handed down to four men found guilty of participating in the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Speaking after the judgment delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, lead prosecution counsel Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, said the ruling represented justice for the victims of one of Nigeria's deadliest attacks on a place of worship.
"We're happy because justice has been served. Justice has been done to the deceased who were murdered in cold blood," Adedipe said.
The court convicted and sentenced four defendants to death by hanging after finding them guilty on terrorism-related charges linked to the attack that killed more than 40 worshippers and injured over 100 others during a Pentecost service.
The convicted men — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris — were among five suspects arraigned by the DSS on a nine-count terrorism charge.
Justice Nwite held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, relying on witness testimony, confessional statements and digital forensic evidence presented during the trial.
A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was discharged after the court found insufficient evidence linking him to the attack.
The trial, which began in August 2025, featured testimony from 11 prosecution witnesses and the submission of 23 exhibits, including forensic reports and electronic communications allegedly connected to the planning and execution of the attack.
The Owo church attack shocked the nation and drew widespread condemnation from religious leaders, civil society groups and the international community.
With Wednesday's judgment, prosecutors said the victims and their families have finally received a measure of justice nearly four years after the massacre.
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