The departed Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN weeping during the service held for the 2022 Owo terror attack victims. He was flanked by his equally weeping wife, Betty.
Three years after the terror attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State which killed over 40 worshippers including children, a federal high court sitting in Abuja on Monday remanded five suspects over the incident.
The attack by the marauders who had invaded the church during a Sunday mass in 2022 had also injured many others and destroyed the church building.
Widely seen as genocide, the attack threw the departed Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN into weeping profusely and the entire Ondo State into mourning for several days.
Five of the suspected criminals who had bombed the church with explosives had been arraigned before the court over the incident to defend themselves against nine counts of terrorism preferred against them.
But the suspects pleaded not guilty to nine counts of terrorism filed against them by the Federal Government.
The suspects; Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdul Malik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Abubakar, who were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on Monday, were accused of being members of Al-Shabab terrorist group, operating a cell in Kogi State.
After the defendants had taken their plea, the prosecution counsel prayed the court that they be remanded in the custody of the DSS pending the commencement of their trial.
The defendant’s counsel did not object but requested that the court instruct the DSS to grant them and the defendant’s family members access to their client.
The prosecution counsel assured the court that the DSS will do what is right by law and the defendants will be allowed access to their lawyers
Justice Nwite has fixed August 19, 2025 for the commencement of trial and he equally ordered the suspects to be remanded in the custody of the Department Of State Services (DSS).
The arraignment of the suspects comes three years after the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, said those behind the attack were arrested.
The National Security Council had linked the attack to heinous activities of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Recall that over 50 worshippers including children were killed and scores injured in “satanic attack”when marauders invaded the Catholic church during a Mass on Sunday service.
The then State Governor, the late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, had described the attack as a crime against humanity.
He had said the attack, though horrific, would not deter the indomitable spirit of the people of the state in their quest to fight insecurity. The then governor had re-echoed the calls for state police.
“A single police command can not guarantee safety in this country. We must have state police now. We are doing our best with Amotekun. But Amotekun is suffering a lot of limitations in getting all the equipment needed to fight these criminals,” he had said.
