ABUJA — A Catholic priest provided a harrowing account Thursday of the June 5, 2022 terror attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, as the Department of State Services (DSS) opened its case against five men accused of carrying out the massacre that left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 injured.
Testifying behind a protective screen his identity shielded for security reasons the priest appeared as the first prosecution witness before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the defendants stand trial on a nine‑count amended terrorism charge. The accused Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) all pleaded not guilty.
In emotional testimony led by DSS counsel Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), the priest recounted how the church service, conducted on Pentecost Sunday, was nearing its end when worshippers suddenly heard a loud noise followed by sporadic gunshots. The assault, he said, caused panic, chaos and a desperate scramble for cover among congregants.
The priest said he was performing the closing rites when he first heard the explosion‑like sound, initially mistaking it for an accident. As the gunfire persisted, an elder warned him they were under attack. He described gathering children and other worshippers and moving them to an attached restroom‑area he considered safer as the shooting continued and three explosive blasts detonated nearby, shaking the building and creating a sense of the ground “opening up.
“I recall hearing continuous gunshots and explosions,” the priest told the court. “I moved with some adults and the children into a safe place attached to the sanctuary. The ground felt like it opened around us.”
After the attackers left, the witness said he saw dead and wounded worshippers scattered on the church floor. He recounted helping to transport casualties to hospitals including the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owo and St. Louis Catholic Hospital where emergency wards were overwhelmed with the injured.
Cross‑examined by defence counsel Abdullahi Mohammad, the priest acknowledged that due to the chaos, he could not identify or count the number of attackers, nor could he ascertain their exact number. His focus, he said, had been on rescuing victims, especially children, amid the violence.
The tragic 2022 attack widely condemned nationally and internationally targeted worshippers as they were concluding mass, inflicting mass casualties and deep psychological trauma on survivors. The DSS alleges the defendants were part of an Al‑Shabab‑linked cell operating in Kogi State, and are prosecuting them under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Justice Nwite adjourned the hearing until January 13 and 14, 2026, for continuation of the prosecution’s case.