PRIEST RECOUNTS HORRIFIC OWO CHURCH MASSACRE AS TRIAL OF TERROR SUSPECTS BEGINS IN ABUJA
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
A Catholic priest on Thursday gave a harrowing account of the 2022 terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, telling the Federal High Court in Abuja how gunmen killed more than 40 worshippers and injured over 100 others during a Pentecost Sunday service.
Testifying behind a protective screen and identified only as “SSA” for security reasons, the priest appeared as the first prosecution witness in the trial of five suspects charged by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The defendants Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) face a nine-count amended charge before Justice Emeka Nwite.
Narrating the events of June 5, 2022, the priest said the attack occurred toward the end of the First Pentecost Sunday Mass, which he presided over.
He recalled hearing a loud explosion followed by sporadic gunfire outside the church, triggering panic among hundreds of worshippers.
“At first, I thought someone had fallen,” he said. “But when two members rushed to lock the main entrance and an elder told me we were under attack, I heard more gunshots outside.”
The priest said he initially attempted to flee but decided to stay to help the children gathered near the sanctuary. He and other adults moved them into the church restroom the only available safe space as explosions continued.
According to him, the third explosive detonated so close that “the effect was like the ground opening to swallow us.”
When the attackers finally left, the priest stepped out to scenes of devastation.
“I saw my choir master shot in the chest. He asked me to pray for him,” he recounted emotionally. “Bodies were on the floor. I shouted for anyone who could drive to help take our brothers and sisters to the hospital.”
He personally transported victims to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, twice. By his second trip, ambulances from FMC and St. Louis Catholic Hospital had begun evacuating casualties.
The priest said the number of dead could not be immediately determined due to the chaos and crying from survivors.
Under cross-examination, he told the court he could not identify or count the attackers due to the confusion and his focus on rescuing children.
“With the commotion and the desire to save the children, I did not recognise those who carried out the attack,” he said.
The priest noted he later gave a statement to the DSS in Akure.
Earlier, DSS counsel Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN) notified the court that the charge sheet had been amended to correct minor errors. The amended charges were read to the defendants, who all pleaded not guilty.
Justice Nwite adjourned the trial to January 13 and 14, 2026, for continued hearing.
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