Five men accused of carrying out a deadly terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, southwestern Nigeria, have pleaded not guilty to charges of terrorism. The attack, which occurred during Sunday mass on June 5, 2022, left over 40 worshippers dead and more than 100 injured.
The defendants Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar were arraigned Monday before a Federal High Court in Abuja. They face a nine count indictment under Nigeria’s terrorism law, including charges of membership in the East African terrorist group Al Shabaab and planning the attack in furtherance of extremist ideology.
Court documents allege the men joined Al Shabaab in 2021 and held planning meetings at locations in Kogi and Ondo States. The assault was reportedly coordinated near a mosque close to the church. Although Nigerian authorities initially blamed Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), neither ISWAP nor Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the massacre.
The suspects were arrested in August 2022, but formal charges were only filed three years later. Monday’s arraignment marks the beginning of legal proceedings, with the trial scheduled to commence on August 19. Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that the defendants remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) until then.
Defence counsel Abdullahi Muhammad requested that the court grant the suspects access to their families and lawyers, noting they had been held without contact since their arrest. The prosecution responded that such access would be allowed upon formal written request.
The trial is expected to test Nigeria’s capacity to prosecute terrorism cases amid a resurgence of violence by Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP. In June, a suspected female suicide bomber killed over a dozen people at a market in Borno State, further highlighting the country’s ongoing security challenges.
