AfriPulse
An officer of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday gave chilling testimony before the Federal High Court in Abuja, detailing how members of a terrorist cell allegedly mobilized funds, procured weapons and executed the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
The officer, identified as SSI and appearing as the ninth prosecution witness (PW9), said he led the DSS Counter Terrorism Investigation team that probed the massacre, which claimed over 40 lives and left more than 100 others injured.
Testifying in the trial of five men accused of complicity in the attack, the witness described how intelligence gathering and technical surveillance led to the arrest of the suspects in August 2022 across Kogi and Ondo states.
The defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al-Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47). They are being prosecuted by the DSS.
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), the witness told the court that investigations revealed the suspects were members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a proscribed terrorist group, operating 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 a leader identified as Odoba.
According to the witness, a key planning meeting was held on May 30, 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, where instructions were allegedly issued to attack the Catholic church on a Sunday and ensure the priest was killed.
He said Al-Qasim Idris subsequently convened a follow-up meeting with other cell members in Omilafia, including his brother Abdulhaleem and Jamiu Abdulmalik, to relay the directive and finalize preparations. Two additional operatives, identified as Mohammed and Abdullahi, were recruited to reinforce the team.
On June 4, 2022, Abdulhaleem allegedly travelled to Adavi, hired a Volkswagen Golf 3 vehicle, and received five AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, ammunition and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from Odoba for the operation.
That evening, the group reportedly assembled at Abdulhaleem’s residence, reviewed the attack strategy, and conducted a “dry practice” — weapons handling drills without live ammunition — before spending the night together.
Providing a graphic account of the assault, the witness told the court that on the morning of June 5, the first to fourth defendants, along with a suspect still at large, were driven to the church with weapons concealed in sacks. Upon arrival, they allegedly mingled briefly outside the premises before launching the attack.
He testified that one victim was shot dead outside the church after being whispered to by one of the attackers, triggering chaos. The attackers then allegedly hijacked a Nissan Sunny vehicle from a passerby and drove into the church compound, where they opened fire on worshippers inside and outside the sanctuary.
Abdulhaleem was said to have detonated at least three improvised explosive devices while others shot indiscriminately at fleeing congregants.
The witness said 40 worshippers, including women and children, later died at the Federal Medical Centre, while at least 23 others sustained serious injuries. Some victims were reportedly brought to the hospital already dead.
The prosecution tendered medical reports, autopsy findings, 30 photographs from the crime scene (admitted as Exhibits M–M30), and a comprehensive investigation report, all of which were admitted in evidence without objection.
Addressing the role of the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, the witness said investigations showed he operated Point of Sale (POS) units in multiple locations and allegedly distributed funds to members of the ISWAP cell.
According to the DSS officer, the fifth defendant’s account was credited with N800,000 on two occasions weeks before the attack, and the funds were allegedly disbursed to members of the Al-Shabab unit of ISWAP, including the other defendants, without any evidence of legitimate business transactions. Technical evidence also placed him in communication with the co-defendants around the time of the attack.
Defence counsel, Abdullahi Mohammad, did not oppose the admission of the investigation report but requested time to study it before commencing cross-examination.
With no objection from the prosecution, the court adjourned proceedings to Wednesday, February 18, at 11 a.m.
Source: FirstWeeklyMagazine | Read the Full Story…
