One of the defendants standing trial over the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja how operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested him during an early morning operation. The attack left 41 worshippers dead and more than 140 others injured.
The suspect, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite on Wednesday as he began presenting his defence in the ongoing trial involving five accused persons linked to the attack.
The defendants in the case are Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47.
During the hearing, Omeiza testified that he was arrested on August 1, 2022, alongside two young individuals identified as Hauwa and Yusuf. Speaking through an interpreter while giving evidence in Ebira, he described the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
He told the court that he was reading in his room in the early hours of the morning when he heard unusual noises outside.
According to him, he looked through the window and saw several men dressed in black clothing with their faces covered. He said the group forced their way into the house shortly afterward.
Omeiza stated that the officers asked about his elder brother, Jamiu, during the operation. He added that two other young people in the house, identified as Awal and Yusuf, were also taken into custody.
The defendant further told the court that he was taken to a DSS facility in Lokoja, Kogi State, where he later met the fifth defendant in the case, Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
He explained that while in detention in Lokoja, officials documented their personal information, including their names, schools attended, occupations, and family details.
Omeiza said he gave a statement the day after his arrest and remained in custody until August 18, 2022, when he learned that his elder brother had also been arrested.
He also told the court that before they were transferred to Ondo State, DSS officers had not questioned him about the Owo church attack or any alleged link to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) or other terrorist groups.
According to his testimony, interrogations about the church attack began after they were moved to the DSS headquarters in Ondo State, where he and his brother were held in the same detention facility.
The court adjourned the case until March 6 for the continuation of the defendants’ defence.
