Owo church attack: Suspect sheds light on arrest by DSS

One of the five persons arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) for alleged involvement in the June 2022 attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State, on Wednesday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja, how he was arrested by the secret police.

The suspect, who was simply identified as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, opened his defence while being led in evidence by the defence lawyer, Abdullahi Muhammad.

The suspect gave his testimony in Ebira Language and was interpreted in English by a court staff.

Suspected herdsmen on June 5, 2022, killed 41 worshippers during the terror attack on the church, while 140 others suffered various injuries.

The DSS had called 11 witnesses to establish the allegations against the defendants in the trial that began on August 1, 2025.

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The court had admitted the confessional statements of the defendants following the conclusion of the trial- within-trial conducted to establish that the witnesses’ statement were voluntarily given.

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

The DSS had sought an accelerated hearing in the trial which was granted by the court.

Omeiza, who claimed to be an auxiliary nurse, told the court that he was arrested on Augudt 1, 2022 alongside two other young boys named Hauwa and Yusuf, in the same house.

“I normally wake up in the morning to read my book. As I was reading, I looked at the clock and it was 2:26 a.m.

“Suddenly, I heard noises outside. I then dropped the book I was reading, opened my window, to see what was going on.

” I saw a group of people wearing all black clothes with a cover on their faces. They forced open the door and entered,” he stated.

According to him, they wanted to know where his older brother, Jamiu, was.

“They arrested two boys from the room opposite mine. I gave them the  boys’ names as Awal and Yusuf,” he added.

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter till March 6 for further hearing.

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