A witness for the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how gunmen allegedly planned and carried out the June 5, 2022 terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left 41 worshippers dead and about 140 others injured.
The witness, a Deputy Director in charge of Terrorism Investigation and the ninth prosecution witness, said he led the DSS panel that investigated the deadly assault. He told the court that after intelligence gathering, DSS operatives arrested five suspects in August 2022 in Kogi and Ondo states.
He identified the suspects as Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Quasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar. According to him, preliminary investigations showed they were members of Al-Shabab, a faction linked to the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), a proscribed terrorist group.
The witness said the suspects acted under the control of one Odoba, who allegedly convened a meeting on May 30, 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, Kogi State, where instructions were issued to attack the Catholic church in Owo and kill the priest in charge.
He explained that Al Quasim Idris later briefed other members in Omilafia and Omilenge, while another meeting was held after Jumaat prayers where further directives were given to carry out the attack.
According to the witness, on the eve of the attack, Abdulhaleem Idris travelled to Adavi to hire a Volkswagen Golf car and later collected five AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, live ammunition and explosive devices from Odoba.
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The group reportedly slept in Abdulhaleem’s room, where they were trained on weapon handling and safety precautions.
On the day of the attack, the suspects drove to Owo with the weapons concealed in a sack. A hawker who noticed the arms was prevented from raising alarm.
The witness said the attackers also snatched a Nissan car from a passer-by, causing panic before proceeding to the church, where they opened fire both outside and inside the sanctuary.
He told the court that 40 worshippers were killed instantly, while about 140 others sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre and St Louis Hospital in Owo.
Several exhibits, including the DSS investigation report, autopsy reports, photographs of the victims and a death report signed by Dr Ayodeji O.O., were admitted in evidence by Justice Emeka Nwite.
The court adjourned the case until February 18 for the defence to cross-examine the witness.