Court Denies Bail to Alleged Al-Shabab Terrorists Behind Owo Church Attack, Fixes Date for Hearing

Alex Enumah and Linus Aleke in Abuja

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday refused to grant bail to five individuals accused of being members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group.

The defendants allegedly orchestrated a deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which resulted in the deaths of over 40 worshippers.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the case, dismissed the bail application, stating that the terrorism charges against the accused were capital in nature.

He held that the defendants were alleged members of a terrorist organisation and posed a potential threat to witnesses and the overall integrity of the trial.

In his ruling, Justice Nwite agreed with the arguments presented by the Department of State Services (DSS), which maintained that the evidence against the accused was substantial and could not be overlooked.

The court further noted that the DSS’s submission—that the defendants might flee if granted bail—was not contested by the defence and was therefore deemed credible.

Additionally, the judge upheld the DSS’s position that the defendants had failed to present credible sureties who could guarantee their appearance throughout the trial.

 He also accepted the DSS’s assertion that granting bail would pose a judicial risk—a point that was not challenged by the defence counsel.

Consequently, the court found that the defendants did not provide sufficient grounds to warrant bail and dismissed the application accordingly.

Earlier in the proceedings, before addressing the substantive issues of the bail application, Justice Nwite declared the motion on notice incompetent.

He cited the omission of the defendants’ names from the motion paper, in violation of legal requirements.

Furthermore, he criticised the submission of a joint two-paragraph affidavit supporting the bail application for all five accused persons, pointing out that the law requires individual affidavits for each defendant in such cases.

The court, however, granted an accelerated hearing and fixed 19 October 2025 for the commencement of trial.

It is recalled that the bail application, dated 11 August 2025, was argued on 19 August 2025 by defence counsel Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim, who claimed that the defendants had assembled reliable and responsible sureties.

However, DSS counsel Dr Callistus Eze opposed the application, contending that the gravity of the charges increased the risk of the defendants fleeing.

He urged the court to refuse the bail request and to keep the accused in DSS custody.

The accused persons are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.

Some of the charges read: “That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, together with others still at large, sometime in 2021, did join and became members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group, with a cell located in Kogi State; thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“That you, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, adults, males, together with others still at large, on 30 May 2022, 3 June 2022, and 4 June 2022, at Government Secondary School, Ogamirana, Adavi LGA, Kogi State, and behind Omialafa Central Mosque, Ose LGA, Ondo State, respectively, attended and held meetings where you agreed to and planned a terrorist attack, which you carried out on 5 June 2022 at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State; thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”