Four Al-Shabaab members sentenced to death for 2022 Owo church attack
via Punch Nigeria4 min read
Four members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group have been sentenced to death by hanging by the Federal High Court in Abuja for their involvement in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The attack resulted in over 40 deaths and more than 100 injuries. Justice Emeka Nwite convicted Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris on a nine-count terrorism charge. However, the court discharged and acquitted Momoh Abubakar due to insufficient evidence. Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, expressed satisfaction with the judgment, stating that justice had been served. The Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Jude Arogundade, also commended the judgment but noted that the scar from the incident remains with the church. Justice Nwite ruled that the prosecution successfully established the guilt of the four convicts, who were identified as principal members of an Al-Shabaab cell operating in Kogi State and active participants in the church assault. The prosecution presented 11 witnesses and 23 exhibits, including confessional statements and a digital forensic examination report, to prove its case. Governor Aiyedatiwa praised the judiciary and security agencies, calling the verdict a "victory for justice, the rule of law, and for all victims." Oba Ogunoye urged further investigation into anyone else involved in the massacre. Bishop Arogundade reflected on the lasting impact o
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