A senior operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that members of a suspected terrorist cell were funded, armed and mobilised to carry out the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.
Testifying under protection before Justice Emeka Nwite, the witness, identified only as SSI, said he led the DSS counter-terrorism investigation into the deadly assault that left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 injured.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the five defendants standing trial 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 counsel Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), the witness, a Deputy Director in charge of Counter Terrorism Investigation, said his team was mandated to uncover the perpetrators, sponsors and circumstances surrounding the attack.
According to him, intelligence gathering and technical surveillance led to the arrest of the suspects in August 2022 across Kogi and Ondo states.
“Our investigation revealed that those arrested were members of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a proscribed terrorist organisation,” the witness said, adding that they operated a cell around Okene/Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State and parts of Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State under the coordination of one Odoba, who remains at large.
How the Attack Was Allegedly Planned
The DSS witness told the court that on May 30, 2022, Odoba convened a meeting at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, Kogi State, where instructions were allegedly given to attack the Catholic church in Owo on a Sunday and specifically target the priest.
He said Al-Qasim Idris was present at the meeting and later relayed the directive to other cell members, including his brother Abdulhaleem Idris and Jamiu Abdulmalik. A subsequent meeting was allegedly held after Jumat prayers at a mosque where the Idris brothers’ father serves as Chief Imam.
The witness further testified that two additional individuals, identified as Mohammed and Abdullahi, were recruited to reinforce the team.
On June 4, 2022, Abdulhaleem Idris allegedly travelled to Adavi, Kogi State, where he hired a Volkswagen Golf 3 vehicle. Odoba was said to have supplied five AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, ammunition and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for the operation.
The group reportedly conducted a “dry practice” — weapons handling without live rounds — before spending the night together ahead of the attack.
Graphic Account of the Assault
The court heard that on the morning of June 5, the first to fourth defendants and another suspect still at large were driven to the church between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., with weapons concealed in sacks.
According to the witness, the attackers initially posed as civilians, purchasing roasted corn outside the church premises. A hawker who observed them was allegedly shot dead after one of the suspects whispered to him.
Amid the ensuing panic, the assailants reportedly hijacked a Nissan Sunny vehicle from a passerby and forced their way into the church compound.
“They shot sporadically inside the sanctuary and around the premises, including at worshippers attempting to escape,” the witness said.
He added that Abdulhaleem Idris allegedly detonated at least three IEDs during the assault.
The witness stated that 40 worshippers, including women and children, later died at the Federal Medical Centre, while 23 others were hospitalised with injuries. Some victims were reportedly brought to the hospital dead.
Evidence Tendered in Court
During proceedings, the prosecution tendered a medical report and autopsy findings, which were admitted without objection from the defence. Thirty photographs taken from the scene were also admitted as exhibits.
A comprehensive DSS investigation report was similarly admitted into evidence.
Addressing the alleged role of the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, the witness said investigations showed he operated multiple Point of Sale (POS) outlets and received two deposits totalling N800,000 about two to three weeks before the attack.
The funds, he alleged, were distributed to members of the ISWAP cell through the POS system, with no evidence of legitimate business transactions. Technical evidence, the witness added, indicated that the fifth defendant was in communication with the other accused persons around the time of the attack.
Defence counsel Abdullahi Mohammad did not object to the admission of the investigation report but requested time to study the document before cross-examining the witness.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until February 18 at 11 a.m. for continuation of trial.
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