The Federal Government plans to charge five suspected terrorists for attacking St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022, killing scores of people.
They will appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The five suspects, who were taken into the courtroom by officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) at about 9:05am, comprise Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is prosecuting the case on FG’s behalf.
The AGF, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025, preferred nine counts against the defendants.
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According to the indictment submitted and signed by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, the suspects and those who remain at large are accused of joining and becoming members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group sometime in 2021.
They were claimed to have established their “cell in Kogi and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
In count two, they were accused of attending and holding meetings on May 30, 2022; June 3, 2022; and June 4, 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, Adavi LGA, in Kogi, and behind Omialafa Central Mosque, Ose LGA, Ondo State, where you agreed to and planned for the terrorist attack, which they carried out on June 5, 2022, at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.
The offence is considered to be against and punishable by Section 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The suspects have yet to be arraigned at the time of the article.
