Owo church massacre: Court rejects bail for suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday turned down a bail request filed by five men accused of being members of the Al-Shabaab terror network that reportedly orchestrated the gruesome attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The incident, which occurred on June 5, 2022, during Pentecost Sunday Mass, left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others wounded.

The suspects — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were arraigned on August 11, 2025, on nine counts of terrorism.

Prosecutors alleged they belonged to Al-Shabaab’s Kogi cell and had plotted further assaults. All five pleaded not guilty and were remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services.

Delivering ruling on their bail plea, Justice Emeka Nwite held on Wednesday that the charges were capital offences and that releasing the men would endanger public safety.

Their lawyer, Abdullahi Ibrahim, had argued that the defendants secured “reliable and responsible sureties” willing to stand for them.

But counsel to Department of State Service (DSS), Dr Callistus Eze, opposed the request, warning that the men could flee given the severity of the allegations and the evidence against them.

Justice Nwite agreed with the prosecution, stressing that the accused failed to present convincing reasons for their release or verifiable sureties. He added that granting bail would amount to “judicial risk.”

The judge also pointed out defects in the application, including the failure to list the defendants’ names on the motion paper and the filing of a joint two-paragraph affidavit instead of individual affidavits as the law requires.

The men are facing charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, ranging from possession of AK-47 rifles and Improvised Explosive Devices to detonating bombs at the Owo church, which killed over 40 people.

The massacre sparked national outrage and international condemnation, standing out as one of Nigeria’s deadliest terror incidents in recent years and fueling concerns about extremist expansion beyond the North-East.

Justice Nwite ordered that the defendants remain in DSS custody and granted an accelerated hearing, with trial scheduled to commence on October 19, 2025.