THE Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of five men accused of carrying out the deadly June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS).
The presiding judge, Emeka Nwite, issued the order on Monday, August 11, after their arraignment.
The defendants, Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
The prosecution, led by Calistus Eze, from the Federal Ministry of Justice, secured the court’s leave to proceed with the arraignment during the vacation period.
Consequently, charges were read to the defendants, to which they pleaded not guilty.
While seeking a trial date, Eze urged the court to remand them in SSS custody
The defence counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad, did not oppose the remand request but asked the court to ensure the defendants have access to relatives and lawyers.
The suspects face nine terrorism-related counts, including membership of the Al Shabab terrorist group, planning and executing the Owo church attack, and detonating improvised explosive devices that killed over 40 worshippers and injured more than 100.
The court adjourned the case to August 19 for trial and ordered their continued detention at the SSS facility.
Recall that gunmen in June 2022, stormed St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, killing many worshippers
The Federal Government said a terrorist group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) was behind the attack.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the suspects are accused of running a terrorist cell in Kogi State, an offence punishable under Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
According to count two of the charges, between 30 May and 4 June 2022, they allegedly held meetings at Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, Adavi LGA in Kogi State, and behind Omialafa Central Mosque, Ose LGA in Ondo State. At these meetings, prosecutors say, they planned the attack carried out on 5 June 2022 at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, a violation of Section 12(a) of the same Act.
It also noted that on the day of the incident, the defendants allegedly detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with the intent to kill, resulting in the deaths of over 40 people, including Ajanaku John, Onuoha Deborah, Onileke Esther, and John Bosede.
They were also accused of storming the church, armed with IEDs and AK-47 rifles, holding worshippers hostage, and inflicting serious injuries on more than 100 others, including Onileke Ayodele, John Blessing, Nselu Esther, and Ogungbade Peter – acts punishable under Section 42(a)(ii) of the Act, among other provisions.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M