Crime
DSS Arraigns Owo Bomb Suspects *Court fixes August 19 for trial
The Nigerian government has arraigned five persons who allegedly carried out the mass shooting and bombing at a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state, on June 5, 2022, where over 40 persons were killed.
The five defendants arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja pleaded not guilty to the 9-count charge bordering on terrorism.
The defendants are Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Abubakar.
During the proceedings, counsel for the defendants, Abdullahi Muhammad, informed the Court that his clients have been in DSS custody since 2022. He adds that their families and lawyers have been prevented from accessing them. Muhammad thereby prayed the court that they be granted access.
In his response, Callistus Eze, who is the prosecutor, informed the Court that he was unaware that the defendants had not been allowed access to families and lawyers. He assured that a formal written request by those affected before visitation will not be turned down by the DSS.
Justice Emeka Nwite thereby ordered that defendants be allowed to access their families and lawyers. The judge had made this order after earlier granting an application for the matter to be heard during vacation.
Justice Nwite further ordered that the defendants, having given a not guilty plea, be remanded at the DSS facility. The judge then fixed August 19 for the commencement of trial.
As contained in the charge sheet, the five and others at large, sometime in 2021, allegedly became members of the Al Shabab Terrorist Group, with a cell in Kogi State, an act that is in breach of Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
They allegedly met on May 30, as well as 3 and 4 June 2022 at the Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, Adavi Local Government Area, Kogi State and behind Omialafa Central Mosque, Ose Local Government Area, Ondo State.
It was during these meetings, according to the charge sheet, that they hatched the plans to attack the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State on 5 June 2022.
On the day of the incident, the attackers used AK-47 and improvised explosive devices IEDs to attack the worshippers during the Sunday service after shutting the doors. They used the IEDs and shot at the worshippers, including many children. The assailants also surrounded the church to shoot at those who attempted to escape the scene.
THE BACK STORY
On June 5, 2022, a mass shooting and bombing took place at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, during a Sunday service. The attack claimed at least 40 lives, with some reports suggesting the death toll could be as high as 80, including many children. Dozens more were injured in the assault.
The incident began around 11:30 AM when armed gunmen, disguised as worshippers, entered the church while others positioned themselves outside.
They detonated improvised explosive devices near the church and opened fire on people both inside and outside the building. The attackers locked the main entrance, shooting anyone attempting to escape. The brutal assault lasted between 15 and 30 minutes before the assailants fled the scene.
No organization immediately took responsibility for the attack. However, the Nigerian federal government suspected the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) of orchestrating the massacre.
Some local residents blamed herdsmen, though these claims remain contested. Authorities made arrests following the attack, including suspects believed to be linked to ISWAP and plans for additional assaults.
This massacre shocked the southwestern region of Nigeria, which is typically more peaceful and rarely experiences violent attacks on churches compared to other areas of the country plagued by insurgencies and banditry.
The Owo church attack stands as one of the deadliest assaults on a place of worship in Nigeria’s recent history, highlighting the ongoing security challenges the nation faces despite ongoing efforts to combat insurgent and militant groups.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, the fugitive son of former Pension Reform Task Team chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, and handed him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Security sources said Faisal, who had been on the run since 2020, was trailed and apprehended by DSS operatives in the Karsana area of Abuja after intelligence indicated he had secretly returned to the country.
Faisal was earlier prosecuted by the EFCC on a three-count charge of money laundering and conspiracy. He jumped bail and fled the country. His trial continued in his absence, and in 2021 Justice Okon Abang convicted and sentenced him to 14 years’ imprisonment.
The court ordered that he be arrested wherever found in Nigeria and remanded in a correctional centre to serve his sentence. It also directed that, if located abroad, the Federal Government should take lawful steps to secure his extradition.
A source said the handover to the EFCC would facilitate enforcement of the court’s judgment and ensure Faisal serves his prison term.
Three others escape with gunshot injuries…..
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and the police have arrested five suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly responsible for the abduction of 20 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State.
The suspects were apprehended during a series of intelligence-led operations carried out between October 10 and 14 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State. Three other suspects escaped during the raids with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
The 20 corps members were abducted by armed men along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway in Imo State on October 1, 2026 — Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day — while travelling to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. They were rescued on October 7 during a joint security operation at Amakohia Ubi Village.
Security sources described the latest arrests as a major breakthrough in the effort to dismantle the network behind the abduction and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“This is a huge sigh of relief. Security agencies have been on a sustained manhunt for the abductors, and we are elated that they have been captured. We strongly believe they will be charged to court by the DSS and the corps members will get justice,” a security source said.
Crime
‘Stop Giving Testimony In Church, And Why’ – Police IRT Commander
The commander cautioned against assuming that everyone attending church had good intentions, urging worshippers to exercise discretion when sharing sensitive personal information in public gatherings.
A commander of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has cautioned churchgoers against publicly disclosing details of their personal lives and achievements during church services.
The commander gave the warning during an IRT briefing on TV Platinum on Thursday, particularly cautioning worshippers attending evening services at churches on the outskirts of towns.
He said publicly sharing personal achievements before a congregation whose intentions were unknown could make worshippers vulnerable to criminal attacks, particularly when returning home after night services.
“After closing from evening service, such act that they plan will be implemented. You can’t go to a church located on the outskirts, and you go to evening prayer, and close in the evening, coming down to your home, after making testimony of what you have achieved in life,” he said.
The commander cautioned against assuming that everyone attending church had good intentions, urging worshippers to exercise discretion when sharing sensitive personal information in public gatherings.
“It doesn’t conform with common sense and rationality in the midst of gathering of people watching you, thinking that they are all men of God. No. Everybody has his own motive of going to the church,” he said.
The commander further called on churches that hold evening services to strengthen their security arrangements, particularly by monitoring access routes and exits to protect congregants before and after worship.
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