The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to death by hanging for their roles in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers and left over 100 others injured.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite convicted Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25, Al Qasim Idris, 20, Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26, and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25, on a nine-count terrorism charge brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.
The court, however, cleared and discharged the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, citing a lack of sufficient evidence connecting him to the attack.
Justice Nwite ruled that the prosecution proved its case against the four convicts beyond a reasonable doubt, stating that the evidence presented established their membership in and active involvement with the terrorist group responsible for the deadly assault on the church.
