FG to Arraign Suspects in 2022 Owo Church Massacre
The Federal Government will on Monday, August 11, 2025, arraign five men alleged to be behind the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where dozens of worshippers lost their lives.
The Accused — Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Abubakar — are to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to face a nine-count charge bordering on terrorism.
Their prosecution comes three years after former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, announced their arrest.
Following the incident, the National Security Council linked the attack to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), with then Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, stressing it had “no ethnic-religious connection.”
The attack occurred as Sunday Mass was ending, with gunmen and bombers reportedly firing at congregants and hurling improvised explosive devices into the building. A priest at the church, Andrew Abayomi, recounted that the shooting lasted about 20 minutes before the attackers fled.
