Four men have been sentenced to death by hanging by a Federal High Court in Abuja for their roles in the deadly 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, one of the worst assaults on a place of worship in Nigeria’s recent history.
Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite found Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris guilty on nine terrorism-related charges, including terrorism financing, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and the use of explosives.
A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence linking him to the attack.
The court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the convicted men were members of a terrorist group and actively participated in planning and executing the assault.
Prosecutors said the attack involved improvised explosive devices and gunfire, resulting in the deaths of more than 40 worshippers and injuries to over 100 others.
In addition to the death sentences, the four convicts were handed life imprisonment for belonging to a terrorist organisation, along with additional prison terms for conspiracy and related offences.
