BREAKING: Owo Church Massacre Verdict: Four Sentenced to Death by Hanging Over Killing of 40+ Worshippers

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their involvement in the horrific terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers during a Pentecost Sunday service in 2022.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite found four defendants guilty on all nine counts of terrorism-related charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS). The convicted men are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25.

The court, however, discharged and acquitted the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish his involvement beyond reasonable doubt.

The convicts were accused of being members of an Al-Shabaab terrorist cell linked to ISWAP and operating from Okene, Kogi State. They were found guilty of membership in a proscribed terrorist organization, conspiracy to commit terrorism, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and the murder of dozens of worshippers during the deadly church attack.

Justice Nwite held that the DSS successfully proved its case through a combination of witness testimonies, digital forensic evidence, mobile phone tracking records, cell tower analysis, and confessional statements made by the defendants.

During the lengthy trial, the DSS presented 11 witnesses, including survivors of the attack, security personnel, forensic experts, and a Catholic priest who was officiating Mass when the gunmen struck.

One survivor, who testified from a wheelchair after losing both legs and an eye during the attack, provided emotional testimony detailing the horrors that unfolded inside the church.

Several witnesses testified under protective identities due to security concerns.

The defence team challenged the admissibility of the confessional statements, alleging that the accused were subjected to torture, including physical assault and electric shocks. However, after conducting a trial-within-a-trial, the court ruled the statements admissible as evidence.

Lead prosecutor Ayodeji Adedipe urged the court to impose the maximum punishment available under the law, describing the Owo massacre as one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in Nigeria’s recent history.

The June 5, 2022, attack shocked the nation and attracted international condemnation after gunmen opened fire and detonated explosives inside the packed church, killing scores of worshippers, including women and children.

Although no terrorist group formally claimed responsibility for the massacre at the time, security investigations later linked the attack to ISWAP-affiliated extremists.

Despite the death sentence, the four convicts retain the constitutional right to appeal the judgment.

Under Nigerian law, they may challenge the verdict before the Court of Appeal and subsequently the Supreme Court if necessary. Legal experts note that death penalty cases, particularly those involving terrorism, often undergo years of appellate review before reaching a final conclusion.

The convicts are expected to file notices of appeal within the legally prescribed period.

The Owo church massacre remains one of the deadliest attacks on a place of worship in Nigeria’s modern history and has continued to serve as a painful reminder of the country’s security challenges.

The defendants had pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned in August 2025.

For many victims’ families and survivors, Wednesday’s judgment represents a major legal milestone in the quest for justice nearly four years after the devastating attack.

More updates will follow as the appeals process unfolds.