The Federal High Court in Abuja has refused bail to five men accused of orchestrating the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where over 40 worshippers were killed in June 2022.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who delivered the ruling on Wednesday, held that the terrorism charges against the defendants were too grave to warrant bail. He said the accused persons had failed to provide convincing reasons why they should be released, adding that granting them bail posed a “judicial risk.”
The Department of State Services (DSS) had strongly opposed the bail application, warning that the defendants could intimidate witnesses or flee justice if freed. The court upheld the DSS position, noting that the evidence presented was weighty and could not be ignored.
The judge also faulted the defence for filing a defective application, pointing out that the motion failed to list the names of the five accused persons as required by law and relied on a single affidavit rather than separate ones for each defendant.
The defendants — identified as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — are accused of being members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group, with cells operating in Kogi State.
According to the charges, the men allegedly planned and executed the June 5, 2022, Owo church massacre using explosives and assault rifles, killing dozens of worshippers and injuring over 100 others. They are also accused of plotting similar attacks at other locations in Kogi and Ondo States.
Their lawyer, Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim, had argued that they had reliable sureties and should be admitted to bail. But DSS counsel, Dr. Callistus Eze, insisted the gravity of the offences and the likelihood of escape outweighed such arguments.
Justice Nwite granted an accelerated hearing of the case and fixed 19 October for the commencement of trial.
