05/06/2026
Four Men Sentenced to Death Over Owo Church Massacre
Four years after the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, a Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their roles in the massacre.
The June 5, 2022 attack left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 injured after gunmen opened fire and threw explosives into the church during Sunday service.
Justice Emeka Nwite found Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al-Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25) guilty on all terrorism-related charges. A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
The conviction was secured through forensic and digital evidence, marking a significant step in Nigeria's fight against terrorism.
However, the death sentence is not immediate. The convicts have the right to appeal to higher courts, and the President may also exercise clemency powers.
For victims' families, the verdict brings accountability. Yet the bigger challenge remains: identifying and dismantling the extremist networks and ideologies that led to the attack in the first place.
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