Owo Church massacre: Survivors relive horror as DSS tenders fresh evidence in Court

Two prosecution witnesses on Tuesday gave emotional testimonies before the Federal High Court in Abuja, recounting the deadly June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, as the Department of State Services (DSS) tendered additional exhibits in the ongoing trial.

The DSS is prosecuting five suspects—Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47)—on nine amended counts bordering on terrorism. All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The attack, which occurred during Sunday Mass on Pentecost, remains one of the deadliest assaults on worshippers in Nigeria’s recent history.

Armed assailants reportedly stormed the church, sealed off the main entrance, opened fire on congregants and detonated explosives, leaving at least 41 people dead and more than 100 others injured.

One of the witnesses, identified by the initials SSB, told the court that the attackers entered the church through a side entrance. He said the incident unfolded rapidly, throwing the entire congregation into chaos.

“In a matter of seconds, I saw one man holding a gun. He looked at the church, then beckoned to someone behind him,” the witness testified.

SSB said he later identified Al Qasim Idris and Abdulhaleem Idris among the attackers. He described hearing explosions and gunshots as worshippers attempted to flee.

“I fell on my face in fear,” he told the court, adding that more than 40 people were killed, while several others sustained injuries during the attack.

Another witness, a female survivor identified as SSC, narrated how she survived the attack but sustained permanent injuries to her leg. She told the court that a gunman dropped an explosive device near her and asked, “Do you know why we are doing this?”

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SSC also recounted the loss of her two-year-old cousin, whose body, she said, was so badly affected that the child’s mother could not immediately recognise it.

She displayed her injured leg to the court, explaining that it had undergone four surgical operations and still contains metal implants.

Both witnesses confirmed that they gave statements to the DSS in May 2024. The statements were admitted by the court as Exhibits B and C.

Counsel to the DSS, Adedayo Adedipe (SAN), informed the court that the prosecution intends to call seven more witnesses to testify in the case. He added that two witnesses are expected to be presented at the next hearing.

Justice Emeka Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter to January 14, 2026, for continuation of trial.