Killers of 40 Church Worshippers Sentenced to Death by Hanging
A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four men to death by hanging for their roles in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where more than 40 worshippers were killed and over 100 others injured. Justice Emeka Nwite convicted the four defendants on a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), including membership of a proscribed terrorist group, conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, hostage-taking, kidnapping, and killing of worshippers in breach of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act. The convicts are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25), all identified as members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group, an affiliate of ISWAP. A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), was discharged and acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence linking […]