The Federal High Court in Abuja denied bail on Wednesday for five men accused of being members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group and carrying out the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Recall that on June 5, 2022, at Pentecost Sunday Mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in State, more than 40 people died and over 100 were injured.
On August 11, 2025, five suspects were brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja on nine terrorism allegations. The men were accused of belonging to the terrorist group Al Shabaab and planned more strikes. They all pleaded not guilty and were placed in the custody of the Department of State Services.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, denied the motion, stating that the defendants’ terrorism allegations were capital offenses and that releasing them on bail would represent a substantial security danger.
The defendants, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, had submitted a bail application on August 11, 2025, through their lawyer, Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim, and argued on August 19.
Their attorney contended that the defendants had recruited “reliable and responsible sureties” to represent them if granted bail.
However, the plaintiff, the Department of State Services, represented by Dr. Callistus Eze, contested the application, suggesting that the men would flee owing to the gravity of the charges and the amount of evidence against them.
The DSS also claimed that admitting them to bail would intimidate witnesses and undermine the trial.
Justice Nwite concurred with the prosecution, saying that the defendants had not provided compelling and verifiable reasons for their release, nor had they produced reliable sureties. He went on to say that granting them bail would be a “judicial risk.”
The judge also found procedural flaws in the bail application, noting that the names of the five defendants were not disclosed on the motion paper as required by law. Furthermore, the application was backed by a joint two-paragraph document, notwithstanding the requirement that each defendant submit a separate statement.
The five accused face several terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022, including membership in Al-Shabab’s Kogi State cell and involvement in meetings where the Owo church attack was planned.
Possession of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and AK-47 weapons led to the detonation of explosives at St. Francis Catholic Church on June 5, 2022, killing over 40 people and injuring over 100.
The horrible attack on St. Francis Catholic Church stunned the nation and sparked considerable outrage both locally and abroad. It was one of Nigeria’s bloodiest terrorist attacks in recent years, raising fears about the development of extremist networks beyond the Northeast, where Boko Haram and ISWAP are most active.
Justice Nwite ordered the accused to stay in DSS custody and granted an accelerated hearing in the case, setting the trial date for October 19, 2025.
