The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed Wednesday, June 3 to deliver judgement in the trial of five persons being prosecuted by the federal government over their involvement in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State where no fewer than 41 worshippers were killed.
The Department of State Services (DSS), who prosecuted the defendants on behalf of the federal government had filed terrorism charge against them for their alleged involvement in the attack.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite had, on May 26, reserved the judgement to a date that would be communicated to parties after lawyers to the prosecution and the defence adopted their final written addresses and presented their arguments for and against the matter.
It was however gathered on Monday, that the court has fixed Wednesday, June 3 to deliver judgement.
In his final submission in the last adjourned date, counsel to the prosecution, Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, urged the court to convict the defendants and impose the maximum sentence of death in view of the enormity of the crime they allegedly committed.
On his part, the defendants’ counsel, Abdullahi Mohammad, prayed the court to discharge and acquit his clients on the grounds that the prosecution was unable to establish its case against them.
A total of 41 worshippers were killed during the terror attack on the church, while over 140 others suffered various injuries.
The DSS had called 11 witnesses to establish the allegations against the defendants in the trial that began on August 1, last year.
The trial court had admitted the confessional statements of the defendants following the conclusion of the trial- within-trial conducted to establish that the witnesses’ statements were voluntarily given.
The five defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25 years), Al Qasim Idris (20 years), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26 years), Abdulhaleem Idris (25 years) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47 years).
The DSS had, in the commencement of the trial, sought an accelerated hearing which was granted by the court.
One of the count charge reads, “That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, with others still at large, on 05/06/2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church , Owo, Ondo State, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, did detonate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which caused grievous bodily harm to over 100 persons, including: Onuchukwu Happiness, Ogungbade Vivan and Nnakwe Paschaline Ugochinyerem and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 42(a)(i) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022”.
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