A witness for the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the suspected terrorists behind the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, were funded, armed, and mobilised for the operation.
The witness, giving testimony under protection, led the DSS investigation into the attack, which claimed over 40 lives and left more than 100 people injured. Identified only as SSI for security reasons, he was the ninth prosecution witness (PW-9) and provided detailed accounts of the roles played by the defendants.
According to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the prosecution also submitted a “comprehensive investigation report on the incident,” which the court admitted into evidence without objection from the defence.
The five men being prosecuted by the DSS are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47).
Led in evidence by prosecuting lawyer Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, the witness, who is the Deputy Director in charge of Counter Terrorism Investigation, said his team was tasked with identifying the perpetrators, their sponsors, and the cause of the incident. “We gathered intelligence and exploited technical resources, which eventually led to the arrest of five persons in August 2022 in Kogi and Ondo States,” he said.
He identified the arrested individuals as Al-Qasim Idris (2nd defendant) and his brother Abdulhalid Idris (4th defendant), Omaiza Abdulmalik (1st defendant) and his brother Jamiu Abdulmalik (3rd defendant), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (5th defendant).
The witness added that investigations revealed the suspects were members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), a proscribed terrorist group, operating in Okene/Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, as well as Omielafa and Omielege in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, under the coordination of an individual known as Odoba.
