Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment to a date to be communicated to the parties in the ongoing trial of five men being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) for their alleged involvement in the June 5, 2022, attack on the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Justice Nwite announced this after taking final arguments from lawyers to the prosecution and the defence.
Justice Nwite told the lawyers to the parties that they would receive notice from the court once the judgment was ready. He said the notice could be within 24 hours.
In his final submission, counsel to the prosecution, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to convict the defendants and impose the maximum sentence of death in view of the enormity of the crime they allegedly committed.
Adedipe argued that the prosecution had painstakingly established its case against the defendants through compelling evidence and detailed investigations, which he stressed reflected the determination of security agencies to ensure accountability for one of the deadliest attacks on innocent worshippers in Nigerian history.
Counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Mohammad, prayed the court to discharge and acquit his clients on the grounds that the prosecution was unable to establish its case against them.
The five men are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
Over 40 people were killed, and many were injured during the attack when gunmen opened fire on worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The incident, which happened on June 5, 2022, sparked widespread condemnation, with various individuals and groups calling on the government to ensure the assailants were arrested and brought to justice.
