A Catholic priest on Tuesday delivered a harrowing testimony before the Federal High Court in Abuja, recounting the moment armed terrorists stormed St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, and killed at least 40 worshippers on June 5, 2022.
Testifying as the first prosecution witness in the trial of five alleged members of the Al-Shabab terrorist cell accused of carrying out the massacre, the priest — identified only as “SSA” for security reasons — described the attack as the darkest experience of his life.
He told the court that he was leading the Pentecost Sunday Mass and preparing to give the final blessing when the first explosion ripped through the church. What began as what he assumed was a congregant falling quickly turned into chaos.
“Suddenly, I heard a loud sound,” he said, testifying behind a protective screen. “Before I could understand what was happening, I saw commotion among the people. Two men from the congregation rushed to lock the main entrance. An elder then ran to me and said, ‘Father, we are under attack.’”
According to the priest, sporadic gunfire soon followed. While hesitant to leave the sanctuary, he said he eventually moved to shield children and some adults in a small adjoining room used as a safe area.
From this hideout, he heard three separate explosions: “The third explosive landed very close to where we were. The impact felt like the ground was opening up beneath us.”
When the gunmen finally withdrew, he stepped out to find bodies littering the church. One of the first victims he saw was the choir master, shot in the chest and calling for prayers. He immediately began coordinating emergency evacuation efforts.
“If anyone could still drive, I begged them to help take the wounded to the hospital,” he said. He personally drove victims to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, making two trips before ambulances arrived from FMC and St Louis Catholic Hospital.
He said the emergency ward was overwhelmed: “There was wailing everywhere. I could not even drive again.”
The priest later gave a statement at the Department of State Services (DSS) office in Akure.
During cross-examination, he told defence counsel Abdullahi Mohammad that he could not identify or count the attackers due to the chaos and urgency of rescuing victims.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the trial to January 13 and 14, 2026, for continuation of hearing.
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