The trial of five individuals accused in connection with the horrific June 5, 2022, massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo took a dramatic turn on Monday when an officer of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, testified before the Ondo State High Court. The officer, identified as SSG and an Assistant Commander with Amotekun, recounted engaging one of the attackers in a gun battle and later identifying him as the second defendant in the ongoing trial.
The attack on the church left over 40 worshippers dead, with many others seriously injured, and has since been the subject of an intense investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS), which is prosecuting five suspects—Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Abubakar (47)—on nine counts of terrorism.
According to SSG, he and his team were initially responding to a separate kidnapping incident at Shagari Village in Owo when they received urgent instructions to change course due to the church attack. On arrival at St. Francis Catholic Church, the officer described a scene of carnage: spent AK-47 shells littered the premises, while inside, he encountered the lifeless bodies of men, women, and children. The wounded were quickly evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, and the deceased were taken to St. Louis Hospital.
“On arrival, the situation was beyond belief. There were bodies everywhere—women, children, men. The sight was horrific,” SSG said in his testimony. Through intelligence gathered from a corn seller and a motorcycle rider, the security team learned that the attackers had fled in a blue Nissan vehicle toward the Achievers University axis along the Ute Road.
The pursuit led the Amotekun team to the vehicle, which had been abandoned near Ijebu. Upon inspection, they found the vehicle’s registration number, AKR 895 AG, along with sachet water inside. The car was subsequently transported to the Amotekun office in Owo, and the team followed the attackers’ footprints into the surrounding bush.
It was during the pursuit that the situation took a deadly turn. SSG explained that he had encountered movement near a cocoa farm and, as he investigated, suddenly found himself facing the muzzle of an AK-47 rifle. A firefight ensued, during which the attackers scattered into the bush. However, one of the attackers remained behind a tree and shot a hunter accompanying the team, killing him instantly. SSG prioritized evacuating the deceased hunter to the Federal Medical Centre.
The officer then pointed to the second defendant in the courtroom, confirming that he was the individual he had encountered during the shootout. His identification was reaffirmed during cross-examination, and he further stated that the suspect was apprehended through the joint efforts of police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), DSS, and other security agencies.
Earlier in the proceedings, the court heard from a pathologist identified as SSF, who conducted post-mortem examinations on the victims of the church attack. SSF described the multiple gunshot wounds observed on the bodies, which resulted in significant internal bleeding and death. However, the pathologist was unable to identify the specific firearms or ammunition used, noting that such determinations were outside the scope of his expertise.
The prosecution’s objection to SSF’s testimony regarding firearms was upheld, and the witness was discharged. The case has been adjourned until February 11 for further proceedings.
