Operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) on Tuesday detailed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, how suspected terrorists planned and executed the June 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, and how intelligence and technical tracking led to the arrest of five suspects.
The witness, codenamed SSG under court-approved protection, testified as the ninth prosecution witness before Justice Emeka Nwite.
He said he led a team to unravel the perpetrators, their sponsors, and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
“The incident occurred on 5th June 2022. I was mandated to investigate and bring those responsible to justice,” the operative said.
He explained that a combination of intelligence gathering and technical resources enabled operatives to track and apprehend five suspects in August 2022.
The suspects were identified as Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47).
According to the SSS witness, the suspects were members of the proscribed terrorist group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), also known locally as Al-Shabab. They were instructed to carry out the attack on a Sunday and specifically target the parish priest.
Prosecution lawyer Ayodeji Adedipe led the witness in narrating how coordinated field operations in Kogi and Ondo states led to the suspects’ arrests.
The SSS operative said the investigation mapped the suspects’ network across Okene and Adavi LGAs of Kogi State and Omilafa and Omilenge in Ose LGA, Ondo State, under a coordinator known as Odoba.
He disclosed that on 30th May 2022, Odoba summoned a meeting of ISWAP members at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana, where Al-Qasim Idris was instructed to plan the church attack.
Abdulhaleem Idris later hired a Volkswagen Golf 3 car and collected five AK-47 rifles, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from Odoba.
The SSS said the suspects rehearsed their attack and coordinated logistics, including the arrival of two additional operatives from northern Nigeria.
On the morning of the attack, the suspects reportedly transported weapons in sacks to the church. They opened fire on worshippers and detonated explosives, causing chaos and mass casualties.
“The attack left over 40 people dead and more than 100 injured,” the operative said, adding that victims included men, women, children, and infants.
Medical reports from Federal Medical Centre, Owo, and Saint Louis Hospital were tendered in court as exhibits.
The court admitted autopsy reports, hospital records, a church list of casualties, and photographs of victims and the crime scene.
The SSS operative also noted that the fifth suspect, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, initially overlooked, was later found to have financed part of the operation through point-of-sale transactions.
Justice Nwite adjourned the proceedings until Wednesday for cross-examination.
The Owo church massacre, which occurred during Pentecost Mass on 5 June 2022, remains one of Nigeria’s deadliest terrorist attacks, shocking the nation and drawing calls for stronger security measures at places of worship.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
