By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
Five men accused of killing 50 worshippers and injuring more than 100 others in a 2022 terrorist attack on a Catholic church in Owo, southwestern Nigeria, pleaded not guilty during their arraignment on Monday.
The defendants — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — appeared before a Federal High Court in Abuja, facing nine counts of terrorism, according to Channels TV.
Court documents seen by Reuters allege the men joined the East African militant group Al Shabaab in 2021 and later plotted the assault on St. Francis Catholic Church, located near a mosque in Owo.
On June 5, 2022, gunmen stormed the church during Sunday Mass, opening fire on worshippers. Nigerian authorities initially attributed the massacre to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), but neither ISWAP nor Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility.
The suspects were arrested in early August 2022, but it took three years before formal charges were filed. Monday’s hearing marks the beginning of legal proceedings, with the trial set to open on August 19. Until then, the accused will remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The attack came amid a resurgence of violence by Islamist groups Boko Haram and ISWAP, which has displaced thousands across Nigeria. In June this year, a suspected female suicide bomber killed at least 12 people and injured many others at a market in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.
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