A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the bail application of five suspects accused of attacking a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022, which resulted in the deaths of at least 41 worshippers and injured 69 others. The court held that the terrorism charges against the suspects were capital in nature, given their alleged link to the global terrorist group Al-Shabab, with a cell in Kogi State.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in his ruling, upheld the arguments of the Department of State Services (DSS) that the evidence against the alleged terrorists was weighty and could not be glossed over. The judge also noted that the DSS’s argument that the suspects might jump bail appeared to be true, and that they failed to establish having credible sureties that could stand for them pending their trial.
The court faulted the motion paper on two grounds: firstly, that the names of the five defendants were not listed on the motion paper as required by law; and secondly, that a joint affidavit of two paragraphs was insufficient to support the request for bail for all five defendants. Each accused person, the judge noted, must have a separate affidavit to back up such a request.
The DSS had opposed the bail application, arguing that the accused persons might escape due to the gravity of the charges against them. The agency’s lawyer, Callistus Eze, urged the court to refuse the bail application and allow the defendants to remain in DSS custody.
The five accused persons – Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar – were charged with membership of a terrorist organization, attending meetings to plan terrorist attacks, and carrying out the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo. The court has fixed October 19 for the commencement of the trial, after granting an accelerated trial.
The DSS has welcomed the court’s decision, which underscores the gravity of the charges against the suspects and the need for a thorough trial. As the case unfolds, the court will determine the guilt or innocence of the accused persons, and justice will be served.
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