Nigeria: Court Sentences Four Men to Death by Hanging for 2022 Owo Church Terrorist Attack

The Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four men to death by hanging for their roles in the June 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which killed over 40 worshippers and injured about 141 others. The convicts are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25. They were convicted on nine terrorism-related charges, including belonging to Al-Shabaab, planning the attack, hostage taking, and using explosives. Judge Emeka Nwite also imposed life imprisonment and 20-year terms for some counts. A fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was discharged and acquitted.