A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their involvement in the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed the lives of dozens of worshippers in June 2022.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Wednesday after finding the defendants guilty on multiple counts bordering on terrorism and conspiracy.
The convicts were prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over their roles in the attack that left over 40 people dead and scores injured.
The four condemned men are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris. A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was discharged and acquitted after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a case against him.
The Owo church massacre, which occurred during a Sunday service at St. Francis Catholic Church on June 5, 2022, shocked the nation and drew widespread condemnation from within and outside Nigeria.
The verdict marks a major milestone in the quest for justice for the victims and their families, nearly four years after one of the deadliest attacks on a place of worship in the country
