The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, granted an application filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) to shield its witnesses in the trial of five suspected terrorists accused of carrying out the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State.
Justice Emeka Nwite approved the request after DSS lawyer, Calistus Eze, moved the motion ex parte, which was not opposed by counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Muhammad.
Eze explained that the application was necessary due to ongoing threats against prosecution witnesses.
The suspects are Idris Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47. They are standing trial as the 1st to 5th defendants in the case.
The terror attack, which occurred on June 5, 2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured.
The Federal Government filed a nine-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025, against the five suspects. The charge, dated and filed on July 23 by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions in the Federal Ministry of Justice, accused the defendants of joining the Al-Shabab terrorist group in 2021 and operating their cell in Kogi State, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
They were also accused of detonating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the Owo church attack, resulting in multiple deaths, and of furthering their religious ideology by attacking worshippers with IEDs and AK-47 rifles, leaving more than 100 people with grievous injuries.
The offences are punishable under Sections 12(a) and 42(a)(ii) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, among other counts.