A federal high court in Abuja has rejected the bail applications of five suspects accused of involvement in the murder of over 40 worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. During the ruling on Wednesday, presiding Judge Emeka Nwite stated that the charges against the defendants are capital offenses, which are not eligible for bail.
Judge Nwite noted that the defendants are alleged members of a dangerous terrorist organization capable of intimidating witnesses and jeopardizing the integrity of the trial. He supported the arguments presented by the Department of State Services (DSS), which asserted that the evidence against the accused is substantial and cannot be overlooked.
The judge further agreed with the DSS’s assertion that the defendants pose a flight risk, highlighting that their claim of potential flight if granted bail went unchallenged by the defense. He also noted that the five accused individuals failed to provide credible sureties to ensure their court appearances and concluded that the DSS’s concern that granting bail would present a judicial risk was not countered by the defense team.
An accelerated trial has been granted, with the next hearing scheduled for October 19.
BACKGROUND
On June 5, 2022, gunmen targeted the church, shooting at worshippers at close range. The suspects—Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar—were arraigned on August 11 on a nine-count charge brought by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The federal government claims that the suspects, among others still at large, joined the Al-Shabaab terrorist group in 2021 and operated a cell in Kogi State. It is alleged that they held meetings at Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, Adavi LGA, Kogi, and behind Omialafa Central Mosque, Ose LGA, Ondo, in 2022, where they planned the attack executed in June of that year.
The accusation includes that, on June 5, the suspects detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with the intent to kill, resulting in the deaths of over 40 individuals, among them Ajanaku John, Onuoha Deborah, Onileke Esther, and John Bosede. They are also charged with attacking worshippers with IEDs and AK-47 rifles, causing grievous bodily harm to over 100 people, including Onileke Ayodele, John Blessing, Nselu Esther, and Ogungbade Peter. These offenses are in violation of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.