FG to Arraign Five Suspects Over June 2022 Owo Church Massacre
The Federal Government has announced its intention to arraign five individuals suspected of orchestrating the June 5, 2022 terror assault on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, an attack that left scores of worshippers dead.
The suspects are slated to be brought before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
At approximately 9:05 a.m., operatives of the Department of State Services escorted the five accused—Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar—into the courtroom.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation will lead the prosecution on behalf of the government.
In charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025, the AGF’s office has levelled nine counts against the defendants.
According to the document signed by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, the accused and other individuals at large allegedly joined the Al Shabab terrorist organisation in 2021.
The charges state that the suspects formed a cell in Kogi State, breaching Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. They are further accused of attending meetings on May 30, June 3 and June 4, 2022, to plan the church attack, offences punishable under Section 12(a) of the same Act.
As of the latest report, the formal arraignment of the suspects has not yet taken place.
