A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused the bail application of five men accused of being members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group and carrying out the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed over 40 lives and left more than 100 injured.
Justice Emeka Nwite dismissed the application, citing the capital nature of the terrorism charges and the potential security risk of releasing them on bail.
The defendants, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, were arraigned on nine terrorism charges and pleaded not guilty. The court granted an accelerated hearing and fixed October 19, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
Justice Nwite upheld the Department of State Services’ arguments that the evidence against the alleged terrorists was strong and that releasing them on bail could intimidate witnesses and jeopardize the trial. The judge also noted procedural defects in the bail application, including the failure to list the defendants’ names on the motion paper and the use of a joint affidavit instead of separate affidavits for each defendant.
