Five men accused of carrying out the 2022 massacre at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, have appeared before an Abuja High Court, where they pleaded not guilty to nine counts of terrorism.
The Federal Government alleges that Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdul Malik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Abubakar were not only responsible for the bloodshed but were also members of the notorious Al-Shabab terrorist group, a Sunni Islamist militant organisation rooted in Somalia.
The attack, which took place on June 5, 2022, left close to 50 worshippers dead during Sunday mass, in one of Nigeria’s most shocking acts of religious violence in recent years.
Survivors recalled scenes of chaos, with one telling investigators how “the sound of gunfire and explosions made people run for their lives” while others were cut down in the pews.
Families of victims have spoken of their continuing grief, with one father saying, “We lost everything that day, and the pain does not fade.”
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The arraignment follows a special report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism detailing both the brutality of the incident and the slow pace of justice.
Prosecutors allege that the five accused conspired to cause mass casualties to instil fear and destabilise the region.
Justice Emeka Nwite, presiding over the case, ordered that the men be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services until trial.
He has fixed August 19 as the start date for full proceedings, signalling that the long-delayed legal process is finally moving forward.
Security experts say the case is a test of Nigeria’s capacity to hold terrorist suspects accountable in open court.
Human rights advocates have called for transparency, warning that mishandling could allow “dangerous men to slip through the cracks.”
The Owo attack has become a rallying point for calls to better protect religious gatherings.
For the community still mourning its dead, justice cannot come soon enough.
