More tears as priest narrates 2022 Owo church bombing in court

Victims of Owo Catholic church massacre

The trial of the suspects linked to the June 5, 2022, terror attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, resumed on Thursday, with the presiding priest recounting before the Federal High Court, Abuja, how the assault unfolded.

The witness, a Catholic priest identified in court as ‘SSA’ for security reasons, testified behind a screen.

The defendants are Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25) and Momoh Abubakar (47).

They are being prosecuted by the Department of State Services on nine counts of terrorism before Justice Emeka Nwite.

Led in evidence by DSS counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), the priest narrated how the attack left over 40 worshippers dead and more than 100 others injured.

He recalled that the attack occurred towards the end of the First Pentecost Sunday Mass, which had drawn a large congregation.

As the service neared completion and the recessional hymn began, he said a loud explosion suddenly shattered the worshippers’ calm, followed by sporadic gunfire.

Giving evidence-in-chief, the witness said he was in the restroom with some children when the first, second and third explosions went off.

He described June 5, 2022, as “a memorable day in his life,” telling the court:“This is so because it was the day when the violent attack was launched on us — myself and all the worshiping community of St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.

It was an incident that led to the death of over 40 persons among us, while some of us became maimed; some of us, till this point, have permanent physical injuries. I recall that the attack was towards the end of the worship that day.”

He said he was performing the last rites and the congregation had begun singing the recessional hymn when he heard a loud sound.