Owo Church attackers linked to foreign group, Al-Shabab — DSS tells Court

The Department of State Services (DSS) has urged a Federal High Court in Abuja to deny bail to five men accused of involvement in the June 5, 2022, massacre at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The DSS raised concerns about the suspects’ alleged links to the foreign terrorist group, Al-Shabab.

The five defendants, identified as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), were arraigned on a nine-count terrorism charge on August 11, 2025.

In a counter-affidavit, the DSS argued that granting the defendants bail could enable them to interfere with prosecution witnesses due to their “propensity for violence” and connection to foreign fighters.

The service stated that the suspects’ accomplices are still at large and are allegedly “making frantic efforts to monitor their trial, intimidate witnesses and free the defendants from lawful custody.”

The DSS further disclosed that prosecution witnesses have expressed fears of attack and have indicated they will not attend court sessions unless their safety is guaranteed. This has prompted the DSS to seek a witness protection order from the court.

During the bail application hearing on Tuesday, August 19, defense lawyer Abdullahi Mohammad argued that his clients had been in custody since their arrest in 2022 and were prepared to provide credible sureties. However, the prosecuting lawyer, Dr. Calistus Eze, urged the court to reject the bail application, citing ongoing threats to witnesses.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who presides over the case, granted a separate application from the prosecution to protect the identity of its witnesses. This will allow witnesses to testify while hooded or veiled and for their real names to be replaced with a combination of alphabets in public records.

Justice Nwite has adjourned the case until September 10 for a ruling on the bail application. The trial was also adjourned to a later date to allow a senior lawyer, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), to fully take over the prosecution team after the DSS hands over the case to him.

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