The Department of State Services (DSS) has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to deny bail to five men standing trial over their alleged involvement in the June 5, 2022, terror attack on St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which left about 40 worshippers dead and over 100 injured.
In a counter-affidavit to the defendants’ bail application, the DSS cautioned that the men had purported contacts to foreign terrorist combatants affiliated with the Al-Shabab terrorists and could flee if released.
The defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47).
On August 11, they were charged with nine counts of terrorism (FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025).
The DSS opined that granting bail would endanger the safety of witnesses and compromise the trial.
It said, “There is a very high likelihood of defendants evading trial in view of their connection to foreign fighters linked to the Al-Shabab terrorist group. The defendants’ accomplices are still at large and have been making frantic efforts to monitor their trial, intimidate witnesses and free the defendants from lawful custody.”
The DSS revealed that it was “currently investigating the leads with a view to apprehending those individuals planning to intimidate witnesses and compromise the trial in the interest of the applicants.
“The prosecution witnesses have expressed fears of attacks by defendants’ cohorts and have stated that they will not attend court sessions unless their fears are allayed.
“This necessitated the filing of an ex parte application for witness protection.
“The prosecution has demonstrated readiness for a speedy trial of the substantive charge.
“The defendants have not presented any evidence to show that they have credible sureties.
“It will not be in the interest of justice and security of prosecution witnesses to grant the application for bail,” the DSS stated.
Abdullahi Mohammad, the defence lawyer, stated in his bail application on Tuesday that his clients had been in detention since their arrest in 2022.
Mohammad stated that his clients were prepared to provide credible and reliable sureties to indicate their willingness to stand trial.
Dr Calistus Eze, the prosecuting lawyer, urged the court to deny the bail motion because it was unmeritorious.
Eze added that the defence lawyer was aware of ongoing threats against potential witnesses for the prosecution.
Following arguments from both counsel, Justice Emeka Nwite deferred the bail application until September 10.
Earlier, at the start of proceedings, Eze informed the court that, while the prosecution’s case was due to begin on Tuesday, it would be unable to progress because the DSS had assigned the matter to a senior lawyer, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), to lead the prosecuting team.
Eze requested an adjournment to a later date, before which the DSS would have processed the requisite fiat from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to allow Adedipe to fully take over the matter.
Mohammad did not object to Eze’s motion for an adjournment. He also did not object to another application by Eze for the preservation of the identification and other personal information of the prosecution’s witnesses.
In the application, the prosecution requested that the court issue an order protecting the identity and other personal details of the prosecution witnesses, as well as an order allowing the prosecution witnesses to testify while hooded and veiled, away from the view of all other individuals except the counsel on both sides.
The prosecution also sought the court to issue an order prohibiting the mention of the real names of prosecution witnesses in public orders, judgements, or documents, as well as an order permitting witnesses to be identified using a combination of several alphabets.
In a quick decision, Justice Nwite approved the application.
