Olamilekan Abayomi
A Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted confessional statements and a Digital Forensic Examination Report as evidence in the trial of five men accused of carrying out the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The Department of State Services (DSS) closed its case after presenting 11 witnesses, including a senior operative who testified about the forensic analysis of mobile phone data that placed the defendants at the scene of the crime.
The defendants, identified as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, are facing a nine-count terrorism charge. The court heard that the attack was planned at a meeting in Kogi State, where the defendants were instructed to attack the church on a Sunday and kill the priest in charge.
The DSS investigation revealed that the defendants were members of an Al-Shabab terrorist cell based in Kogi State and used improvised explosive devices and AK-47 rifles to carry out the attack, which left over 40 worshippers dead and more than 100 injured. The attack was described as one of the most horrific acts of terrorism in Nigeria’s history.
The confessional statements of the defendants were recorded during the investigation, and the forensic report confirmed that the defendants’ mobile phones contained incriminating evidence, including messages and location data that placed them at the scene of the crime. The prosecution argued that the evidence demonstrated the defendants’ involvement in the attack.
The court admitted the confessional statements and forensic report as evidence, ruling that they were obtained voluntarily and were relevant to the case. The defendants’ lawyers had objected to the admission of the evidence, arguing that it was obtained under duress, but the court rejected their objections .
The DSS investigation also revealed that the defendants had been in contact with other members of the Al-Shabab cell, who provided them with instructions and support. The prosecution argued that the evidence showed a clear pattern of planning and coordination, and that the defendants were key players in the attack.
The trial is ongoing, and the defendants are expected to open their defense on March 4 and 5. The court has warned the defendants that they will face the full weight of the law if found guilty.
The Owo church attack was widely condemned, and the trial is being closely watched by the public and human rights groups.
