Suspects in Owo Church attack open defence in court

Suspects being tried for the June 5, 2022 panic onslaught connected the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, successful Ondo State connected Wednesday opened their defence successful the coercion charges brought against them by the Department of the State Service, DSS, earlier the Abuja Federal High Court.

A full of 41 worshippers were killed successful the panic attack, with implicit 140 others injured.

The opening of the defence is coming aft the DSS had called 11 witnesses to found the allegations against the defendants successful proceedings that commenced connected August 1, 2025.

It is besides coming aft the tribunal had admitted the confessional statements of the defendants pursuing the decision of the proceedings wrong proceedings conducted to found the voluntariness of the defendants’ statements.

The 5 defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25 years), Al Qasim Idris (20 years), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26 years), Abdulhaleem Idris (25 years) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47 years).

The 1st defendant, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, portion opening his defense, narrated however helium was nabbed astatine his Eika Ohiziyen assemblage successful Okehi section authorities country of Kogi state.

Omeiza, who claimed to beryllium an auxiliary nurse, said helium was arrested connected August 1, 2022 on with 2 different young boys named Hauwa and Yusuf successful the ...