Proceedings in the Owo massacre trial resumed before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, with a defence witness alleging that security operatives subjected him to torture and arrested him without explanation in connection with the case.

Testifying as the third prosecution witness for the defence, PW3, Jamiu Abdullahi, a plumber and farmer, told the court that he was arrested on August 11, 2022, at a checkpoint along the Ondo–Kogi route by masked operatives dressed in black, who later transferred him to the Department of State Services facility in Lokoja.

“They said I should come down and that I was under arrest,” the witness recounted. “They handcuffed me and tied my face.”

The witness further alleged that while in custody, he was subjected to severe physical treatment, including being suspended and having water poured on his face.

“They carried me directly to the hanging. They didn’t drop me until I started urinating on my body,” he told the court.

The testimony forms part of the defence’s case in the trial involving five defendants: Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.

Led in evidence, PW3 narrated his personal background, stating that he hails from Eika Ohizenyi in Kogi State, where he trained as a plumber before relocating to Ondo State in 2018 for farming due to economic hardship.

According to him, tensions in his community escalated in 2022 following an attack on a police station in Eika, during which officers were reportedly killed and the station set ablaze. He said the incident triggered a wave of arrests allegedly based on petitions submitted against members of the community.

He told the court that the local government chairman, identified as Ibrahim Ohiare, later convened a community meeting where he warned against misuse of petitions.

“He said some individuals wrote petitions against community members and that was why arrests were made,” the witness said, adding that the chairman encouraged residents to form a delegation to withdraw the petitions at the state level.

The witness further testified that prior to his own arrest, the first defendant and others were apprehended in similar circumstances.

“My wife called me crying that the first defendant, Idris, and two boys in my house were arrested,” he said. “They wore black, broke the door and took them away.”

He added that even community leaders, including the Chief Imam, were initially unaware of the whereabouts of those arrested.

Providing details of his own arrest, PW3 said security operatives at a checkpoint checked his identity using his phone and National Identification Number before detaining him.

“They mentioned my full name and said I should come down. They didn’t show me what they typed,” he said.

The witness told the court that during interrogation, an officer identified as P.S.O. Timothy accused him of involvement in criminal activities and pressured him to confess.

“He said I should say why I was arrested. I told him I didn’t know,” PW3 testified. “He asked if I wanted to say it by force or gently.”

He further stated that he was shown an image of a school building in his community and accused of being part of a group allegedly linked to the fifth defendant.

“He said we were students of the fifth defendant and that the school was for terrorists,” the witness said, denying the allegation and insisting he was only a supporter of the school’s development.

PW3 also told the court that security operatives presented a list containing names of individuals allegedly accused of terrorising the community.

“He showed me names written on both sides of a paper,” he said. “I told him if all those people were criminals, the community would not have peace.”

In his testimony, the witness traced the origin of the crisis in his community to disputes over the establishment of a school by the Chief Imam, which he said had caused divisions among residents since 2011.

“Some supported the Imam, others opposed him and didn’t want the school built in the central mosque,” he said.

The witness maintained throughout his testimony that he had no involvement in any criminal activity and was unaware of the reasons for his arrest.

Earlier, counsel appearances were led by Ayodeji Adedipe alongside Yemi Adesina, SAN, for the prosecution, while A. A. Mohammed, D. A. Afolayan, and A. A. Abdulraheem represented the defendants. E. E. Oga, with Vincent Adodo from Ondo State, also appeared in the matter.

After the testimony, Justice Nwite adjourned the case to April 1 and 2, 2026, for continuation of the defence.