A Nigerian federal court has handed down death sentences to four individuals found guilty of participating in a brutal 2022 attack on a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria. The assault, which occurred during a Pentecost Sunday service, resulted in the deaths of 41 worshipers and left over 100 injured, drawing international condemnation and renewing focus on religious persecution.
"People will say at least some level of justice was done. But it does not bring back those who were brutally murdered." — Bishop Jude Arogundade, Bishop of Owo
Judge Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered the verdict, convicting Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25. The four defendants faced a litany of terrorism-related charges, including homicide, conspiracy to commit terrorism, membership in a terrorist organization, kidnapping, hostage-taking, terrorism financing, and the use of explosives causing deaths and injuries. The court concluded that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, noting that the defense had not successfully challenged the evidence presented. In addition to the death penalty, each convicted man received a 20-year prison sentence for their membership in a terrorist organization.
A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, was acquitted by the court due to insufficient evidence connecting him to the attack. Prosecutors had alleged that Abubakar provided financial support to the attackers by distributing funds from a suspect who remains at large. Abubakar, however, denied these allegations during his testimony, asserting that the money in question originated from legitimate farming and cooperative business activities.
The attack took place on June 5, 2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, a town located in Ondo State. According to prosecutors, gunmen stormed the church during Mass, opening fire on the congregation and detonating explosive devices inside the building. Authorities confirmed that 41 individuals, including several children, were killed, and more than 100 others sustained injuries. Witnesses provided harrowing accounts during the trial, with one survivor testifying that an explosion severed both of her legs below the knee and left her blind in one eye. Another witness claimed to have identified two of the defendants as active participants in the assault. The church’s priest survived the violent incident.
Court records indicate that the convicted men admitted their involvement in the attack, stating they were acting under the direction of a leader who has not yet been apprehended. Testimony presented during the trial revealed that the men claimed they were told the church had committed blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad. Authorities identified the defendants as members of Al-Shabaab, an extremist group with ties to Al-Qaeda, which they reportedly joined in 2021. Neither Al-Shabaab nor the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) formally claimed responsibility for the Owo attack.
Defense attorneys have announced their intention to appeal both the convictions and the sentences. During the trial proceedings, the defendants alleged that they were subjected to torture while in custody, including beatings and electric shocks, a claim reported by the Western Journal.
Executions remain a rare occurrence in Nigeria, despite the country's retention of the death penalty. Human rights organizations reported that over 3,000 inmates were on death row in Nigeria as of 2023. Bishop Jude Arogundade of Owo welcomed the court's verdict but acknowledged that it could not fully alleviate the profound loss experienced by the victims’ families. "People will say at least some level of justice was done," the bishop stated. "But it does not bring back those who were brutally murdered." The sentencing has reignited global discussions surrounding the persecution of Christians and the devastating consequences of extremist violence in various regions.
