A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused bail to five men accused of being Courtmembers of the Somali-based terrorist group, Al-Shabab, and of carrying out the deadly June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
The assault, one of the most shocking acts of terrorism in Nigeria’s recent history, claimed the lives of over 40 worshippers and left dozens more injured.
The defendants — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — are standing trial on terrorism charges filed by the Department of State Services, DSS.
On Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite dismissed their bail applications, holding that the offences were capital in nature and carried severe national security implications.
He stressed that admitting the suspects to bail could not be justified under the circumstances.
According to the judge, the prosecution had convincingly argued that the men remained a potential danger to public safety if released.
The DSS maintained that the evidence against them was weighty and that they posed a significant flight risk.
“The defendants failed to establish credible sureties, and the possibility of them jumping bail or intimidating witnesses cannot be ruled out,” Justice Nwite declared.
The judge further described the bail motion as procedurally defective. He noted that the motion on notice was incompetent because the defendants’ names were not listed on the application as required by law.
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In addition, the supporting affidavit, signed jointly for all five defendants, fell short of legal standards.
Each accused person, the court held, should have submitted an individual affidavit in support of their request.
Justice Nwite added that the defence counsel’s arguments did not adequately counter the DSS’s submissions. “The agency’s concerns that admitting the defendants to bail would amount to judicial risk were not disputed by their lawyers,” he said.
The court’s ruling followed the hearing of a bail application filed on August 11, 2025, and argued by defence counsel, Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim, on August 19. Ibrahim had contended that his clients had secured reliable sureties and should be granted bail pending trial.
However, DSS counsel, Dr. Callistus Eze, opposed the application, insisting that the gravity of the terrorism charges made the defendants unsuitable for release.
Justice Nwite granted accelerated hearing of the case and fixed October 19, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
The charges against the five men outline a chilling sequence of planning and execution. Prosecutors allege that the accused, along with others still at large, became members of an Al-Shabab cell based in Kogi State in 2021.
They allegedly held a series of meetings at different locations — including Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, Adavi Local Government Area, Kogi State, and behind Omialafa Central Mosque in Ose Local Government Area, Ondo State — where they plotted attacks.
According to court documents, the meetings in late May and early June 2022 culminated in the assault on St. Francis Catholic Church on June 5, 2022.
Armed men stormed the church in Owo during Mass, detonating explosives and opening fire on worshippers, sparking widespread outrage across Nigeria and drawing condemnation from the international community.
The charge sheet cites multiple provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, under which the offences carry heavy penalties.
Specifically, the accused face counts under Section 25(1), which criminalizes membership of a terrorist organization, and Section 12(a), which penalizes participation in terrorist planning and execution.
Crediblenewsng.com
