One of the five individuals standing trial over the June 5, 2022 assault on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, Abdulmalik Omeiza, has narrated before the Federal High Court in Abuja how he was apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Services.
The deadly attack on the church claimed the lives of 41 worshippers and left more than 140 others injured, marking one of the most tragic incidents in the state’s history.
The DSS has presented 11 witnesses in support of its case since proceedings commenced on August 1, 2025. During the trial, the court admitted confessional statements attributed to the defendants after concluding a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statements were made voluntarily.
The five accused persons are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
Omeiza, who began presenting his defence during an accelerated hearing initiated at the request of the DSS, was guided in his testimony by his counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad. Although he described himself as an auxiliary nurse, he opted to give his account in Ebira, prompting the court to provide an interpreter.
Recounting the circumstances of his arrest, Omeiza told the court that he was taken into custody on August 1, 2022, alongside two young individuals identified as Hauwa and Yusuf at the same residence. “The night I was arrested, I used to wake up in the morning to read my book. When I woke up and was reading, I looked at the clock and it was 2:20 early in the morning.”
He further explained that he later encountered the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, at the DSS office in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, where both had been detained. According to him, the four detainees were placed in a room where officials documented personal details including their names, educational background, occupation, and their fathers’ names.
Omeiza informed the court that he provided a statement the following day and remained in custody until August 18, 2022, when he discovered that his elder brother had also been arrested. He added that prior to their transfer to Ondo State on that date, DSS operatives did not question him about the Owo church incident or any alleged affiliation with ISWAP or other terrorist groups.
Upon arrival at the DSS headquarters in Ondo State, he said he was held in the same room as his elder brother while interrogators questioned them regarding the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo.
The court has adjourned further proceedings to March 6 for the continuation of the defence.
What you should know
Abdulmalik Omeiza, one of five defendants in the Owo church attack trial, has begun presenting his defence at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He detailed how he was arrested in August 2022 and detained at DSS facilities in Lokoja and Ondo State, maintaining that he was not initially questioned about the church attack or links to terrorist groups.
The prosecution has already called 11 witnesses, and the court admitted the defendants’ confessional statements after determining they were voluntarily made.
