Five men accused of orchestrating the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to grant them bail, pending the conclusion of their trial.
The defendants — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — are facing a nine-count terrorism charge over the June 5, 2022, massacre, which left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 injured.
At Tuesday’s sitting, defence counsel Abdullahi Muhammad argued that his clients were prepared to produce “reliable and responsible” sureties, insisting they would not evade trial. He urged the court to grant them temporary freedom from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The Federal Government, however, strongly opposed the request. Prosecution counsel, Dr. Calistus Eze, maintained that the severity of the charges and the possible outcome of the case made the defendants a flight risk. He pressed for an accelerated hearing instead of bail.
In a separate ruling, trial judge Justice Emeka Nwite permitted the prosecution to shield the identities of its witnesses, citing security concerns. The defence raised no objection.
The government alleges the defendants are members of an Al Shabab terrorist cell based in Kogi State, and that they used improvised explosive devices and assault rifles during the Owo attack in furtherance of their extremist ideology. All five men have pleaded not guilty.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025, is being prosecuted by the DSS, with the Attorney-General of the Federation having appointed Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adedeji Adedipe, to lead the legal team.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to rule on the bail application.
