Court Denies Bail to Owo Church Attack Suspects Linked to Al-Shabaab.
Abuja, Nigeria A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the bail applications of five men accused of carrying out the deadly June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left at least 41 worshippers dead and 69 others injured.
Justice Emeka Nwite, delivering the ruling on Wednesday, held that the terrorism charges against the defendants were capital in nature, given their alleged ties to Al-Shabaab, an international terror group said to have a sleeper cell in Kogi State.
The court upheld arguments from the Department of State Services (DSS) that releasing the suspects could jeopardize the trial, intimidate witnesses, and pose a serious judicial risk. Justice Nwite also noted procedural flaws in the bail motion, including the omission of the defendants’ names on the motion paper and the filing of a joint affidavit, which he ruled was contrary to legal requirements.
The judge further stressed that the accused failed to present credible sureties or convincing reasons to justify bail. “The evidence against them is weighty and cannot be glossed over,” he ruled, granting an accelerated trial and fixing October 19, 2025 for proceedings to commence.
The accused Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar face multiple counts under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including allegations that they conspired and held planning meetings before the Owo massacre.
The DSS had arrested the suspects following a nationwide manhunt ordered by then-President Muhammadu Buhari in the aftermath of the church attack, where gunmen detonated explosives and opened fire on congregants during mass.
While defense counsel Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim argued that the men had assembled “reliable and responsible sureties,” the court sided with DSS lawyer Callistus Eze, who opposed the application on grounds of security risks and flight concerns.
The suspects remain in DSS custody as the high-profile trial draws closer, with victims’ families and the Catholic community awaiting justice more than three years after the horrific assault.
Abuja, Nigeria A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the bail applications of five men accused of carrying out the deadly June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left at least 41 worshippers dead and 69 others injured.
Justice Emeka Nwite, delivering the ruling on Wednesday, held that the terrorism charges against the defendants were capital in nature, given their alleged ties to Al-Shabaab, an international terror group said to have a sleeper cell in Kogi State.
The court upheld arguments from the Department of State Services (DSS) that releasing the suspects could jeopardize the trial, intimidate witnesses, and pose a serious judicial risk. Justice Nwite also noted procedural flaws in the bail motion, including the omission of the defendants’ names on the motion paper and the filing of a joint affidavit, which he ruled was contrary to legal requirements.
The judge further stressed that the accused failed to present credible sureties or convincing reasons to justify bail. “The evidence against them is weighty and cannot be glossed over,” he ruled, granting an accelerated trial and fixing October 19, 2025 for proceedings to commence.
The accused Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar face multiple counts under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including allegations that they conspired and held planning meetings before the Owo massacre.
The DSS had arrested the suspects following a nationwide manhunt ordered by then-President Muhammadu Buhari in the aftermath of the church attack, where gunmen detonated explosives and opened fire on congregants during mass.
While defense counsel Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim argued that the men had assembled “reliable and responsible sureties,” the court sided with DSS lawyer Callistus Eze, who opposed the application on grounds of security risks and flight concerns.
The suspects remain in DSS custody as the high-profile trial draws closer, with victims’ families and the Catholic community awaiting justice more than three years after the horrific assault.
Court Denies Bail to Owo Church Attack Suspects Linked to Al-Shabaab.
Abuja, Nigeria A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the bail applications of five men accused of carrying out the deadly June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left at least 41 worshippers dead and 69 others injured.
Justice Emeka Nwite, delivering the ruling on Wednesday, held that the terrorism charges against the defendants were capital in nature, given their alleged ties to Al-Shabaab, an international terror group said to have a sleeper cell in Kogi State.
The court upheld arguments from the Department of State Services (DSS) that releasing the suspects could jeopardize the trial, intimidate witnesses, and pose a serious judicial risk. Justice Nwite also noted procedural flaws in the bail motion, including the omission of the defendants’ names on the motion paper and the filing of a joint affidavit, which he ruled was contrary to legal requirements.
The judge further stressed that the accused failed to present credible sureties or convincing reasons to justify bail. “The evidence against them is weighty and cannot be glossed over,” he ruled, granting an accelerated trial and fixing October 19, 2025 for proceedings to commence.
The accused Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar face multiple counts under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including allegations that they conspired and held planning meetings before the Owo massacre.
The DSS had arrested the suspects following a nationwide manhunt ordered by then-President Muhammadu Buhari in the aftermath of the church attack, where gunmen detonated explosives and opened fire on congregants during mass.
While defense counsel Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim argued that the men had assembled “reliable and responsible sureties,” the court sided with DSS lawyer Callistus Eze, who opposed the application on grounds of security risks and flight concerns.
The suspects remain in DSS custody as the high-profile trial draws closer, with victims’ families and the Catholic community awaiting justice more than three years after the horrific assault.
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