Four years after the horrific massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, justice has been served as a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four Al-Shabaab terrorists to death by hanging on Wednesday.
Justice Emeka Nwite convicted Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), and Abdulhaleem Idris (25) on a nine-count terrorism charge brought by the Department of State Services (DSS).
A fifth co-defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), was discharged due to a lack of evidence linking him to the crime.
Persecondnews recalls that the bloody attack occurred during the administration of the late Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, who also hailed from the town.
According to the judgment, the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the four convicts belonged to a dangerous Al-Shabaab terrorist cell operating in Kogi State.
Driven by extremist religious ideologies, the group breached the church during a Pentecost service, detonating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and firing AK-47 rifles at helpless worshippers.
The attack claimed over 40 lives and left more than 100 people wounded.
The historic verdict follows a rigorous trial during which the federal prosecution called 11 witnesses and submitted 23 vital exhibits to seal the convicts’ fate.
The exhibits included confessional statements, a digital forensic examination report and a Technophone allegedly containing communications exchanged by the defendants before and after the attack.
Among the 11 witnesses was a Catholic priest, who provided a chilling account of the assault, describing how the attackers detonated at least three explosives inside the sanctuary during the active service.
Following the evaluation of all testimonies and evidence, the court convicted the four defendants and sentenced them to death by hanging.