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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed the trial of five men accused of masterminding the deadly bombing of St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, for commencement.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had on August 11, 2025, arraigned the suspects before Justice Emeka Nwite on a nine-count charge bordering on terrorism.
Those facing trial are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
The charges stem from their alleged involvement in the June 5, 2022, attack on the church, which left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 injured.
All five defendants, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
According to the DSS, the suspects are members of the Al Shabab terrorist group, with an operational cell in Kogi State. The security agency alleged that the attack was carried out “in furtherance of their religious ideology.”
The prosecution further accused them of committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The suspects allegedly held meetings at the Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, in Adavi Local Government Area, Kogi State, as well as behind Omialafa Central Mosque in Ose Local Government Area, Ondo State, in 2022.
The post Court Begins Trial Of Owo Church Bombing Suspects appeared first on Naija News.
