Owo Church Massacre Suspects Plead Not Guilty Amid Delayed Trial
Five men accused of the 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Nigeria, which left at least 50 dead and injured over 100, have pleaded not guilty as their long-overdue trial commences, reports 24brussels.
The defendants—Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar—were formally charged on Monday before Judge Emeka Nwite at a Federal High Court in Abuja. Facing nine counts under Nigeria’s terrorism legislation, they will remain in the custody of the Department of State Services until the next court session on August 19.
According to court documents, the suspects allegedly aligned with the East African armed group Al Shabaab in 2021 and conspired to carry out various attacks, culminating in the assault on June 5, 2022. During Sunday mass, gunmen opened fire on congregants, resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries. Plans for another attack near a mosque approximately 30 kilometers away were also uncovered.
The Owo massacre was initially linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which, alongside Boko Haram, has been perpetrating a prolonged insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast. However, neither group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and Al Shabaab’s operational presence within Nigeria is not confirmed.
The suspects were arrested in August 2022, but it took nearly three years for the case to reach the courtroom, reflecting significant challenges Nigeria faces in prosecuting intricate terrorism cases. The trial’s unfolding occurs against a backdrop of escalating armed violence; just last month, a female suicide bomber detonated explosives in a market in Borno State, killing over a dozen people.
For many Nigerians, the outcome of this trial represents a critical test of the government’s ability to deliver justice amid ongoing insurgent violence that continues to displace thousands and undermine national security.
