Five individuals have been arraigned in a Nigerian federal court on Monday in connection with a deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, southwestern Nigeria, which left at least 50 people dead and over 100 others injured in June 2022.
The suspects: Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, faced charges under Nigerian terrorism laws.
They pleaded not guilty to the allegations and were taken into custody by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The presiding judge, Emeka Nwite, postponed the trial to August 19. The case will be closely watched as it presents a test for the Nigerian government in handling terrorism-related prosecutions, particularly amid ongoing security challenges and insurgent activity in parts of the country.
Court documents indicate that the accused men allegedly joined the terrorist group Al Shabaab in 2021, with plans to carry out attacks at a public school in central Nigeria and near a mosque about 30 kilometers from the church in Owo.
While Al Shabaab has not claimed responsibility for the attack, nor is there confirmed evidence of its operations in Nigeria, authorities initially pointed to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as a potential perpetrator. However, ISWAP also did not claim the assault.
