The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday rejected a bail request filed by five men accused of being members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist network and participating in the deadly June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
The Pentecost Sunday assault left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured, marking one of the bloodiest terrorist incidents in Nigeria’s recent history.
On August 11, 2025, the defendants were arraigned before the court on nine counts of terrorism. They pleaded not guilty to charges that included alleged membership of the Al-Shabaab group, possession of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and firearms, and planning further attacks.
Justice Emeka Nwite dismissed the bail application, ruling that the offences were capital in nature and that releasing the men would pose “a significant security risk.”
The defendants — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — through their lawyer, Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim, argued that they had secured “reliable and responsible sureties” to guarantee their appearance in court.
However, the prosecution, led by Department of State Services counsel Dr. Callistus Eze, objected, warning that the suspects might abscond due to the seriousness of the allegations and the weight of evidence against them. He further cautioned that granting them bail could intimidate witnesses and compromise the trial.
Justice Nwite upheld the prosecution’s arguments, stressing that the defendants had not presented verifiable reasons or credible sureties for their release. He also highlighted flaws in the bail motion, including the absence of the defendants’ names on the motion paper and the submission of a single two-paragraph affidavit instead of individual affidavits as required by law.
The court ordered that the men remain in DSS custody while granting an accelerated hearing of the matter. Trial is scheduled to begin on October 19, 2025.
The Owo church attack drew both local and international condemnation, raising alarms about the spread of extremist networks beyond Nigeria’s North-East strongholds of Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Advertisement
