The Federal High Court has remanded in the custody of the State Security Service, five suspects connected to mass shooting and bomb attacks that occurred at a Catholic Church in Owo town in Ondo State after they pleaded not guilty to a 9 count charge bordering on terrorism.
The mass shooting and bomb attacks on the Catholic Church took place on 5 June 2022, leaving at least 40 people dead.
Following the incident, the federal government swung into action and fished out the suspected culprits.
In the same year, five suspects alleged to be members of AL Shabab Terrorist Group, were apprehended.
They are Idris Abdumalik Omeiza 25 years, Al Qasim Isris, 20 years, Jamiu Abdumalik 26 years, Anduhaleem Idris 25 years and Momoh Otuho Abubakar 47 years.
They have all been in DSS custody since then while investigations were ongoing.
However, in line with a presidential directive and ongoing reforms in the DSS, the five suspects were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on a 9 count charge bordering on terrorism.
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When the matter commenced, the prosecution counsel told the court that they had filed a summons experte for the case to be heard and urged the court to look into that before going ahead with the arraignment, which the court did.
After the defendants took their plea, the prosecution urged the court to order that they be remanded in the custody of the SSS, pending when trial resumes.
The defence counsel, Abdullahi Muhammad, however urged the court to order the DSS to give the relatives of the defendants and their lawyers access to them while in custody.
After listening to the lawyers submission, Justice Nwite adjourned to August 19, 2025 and ordered that the defendants be allowed access to their lawyers and families while in custody.
(Editor: Okechukwu Eze)
