The attack, which occurred during a Sunday Mass celebrating the Feast of Pentecost, remains one of the deadliest terror assaults on a place of worship in Nigeria.
Survivors of the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on Tuesday recounted harrowing moments as the Department of State Services (DSS) presented additional evidence against five suspects before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The DSS is prosecuting the five defendants; Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), on an amended nine-count charge bordering on terrorism, conspiracy, and acts intended to cause grievous harm and mass casualties.
All the defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The attack, which occurred during a Sunday Mass celebrating the Feast of Pentecost, remains one of the deadliest terror assaults on a place of worship in Nigeria.
Armed assailants stormed the Catholic church, locked the main entrance to prevent escape, opened fire on worshippers, and detonated explosives, killing at least 41 people and injuring more than 100 others.
At Tuesday’s resumed hearing, the prosecution called two additional witnesses who gave graphic and emotional testimonies detailing how the attack was carried out and the devastating impact it had on victims.
A male witness, identified in court only as SSB, narrated how the gunmen forced their way into the church through a secondary entrance after worshippers attempted to secure the main door.
“In a matter of seconds, I saw one man holding a gun. He looked at the church, then beckoned to someone behind him,” the witness told the court.
During his testimony, SSB identified the attackers present in the dock.
Although he initially pointed to the fifth defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, he later corrected himself and identified the second defendant, Al Qasim Idris, after the accused removed his face mask and stepped closer.
He also identified Abdulhaleem Idris, the fourth defendant, as the man carrying a bag while the attackers were preparing to flee the scene.
SSB recounted hearing several loud explosions as the assailants fired indiscriminately at worshippers who were trapped inside the church.
"I fell on my face in fear," he said. "After the attackers left, I saw two dead bodies outside the church. More than 40 worshippers were killed while many others were injured."
A second prosecution witness, a female identified as SSC, also gave a harrowing account of how she survived the attack but was left with permanent injuries.
She told the court that a gunman dropped a stick of dynamite near her and asked chillingly, “Do you know why we are doing this?” Moments later, the explosive detonated.
SSC emotionally recounted seeing the lifeless body of her two-year-old cousin at the hospital.
According to her, the child’s mother was initially unable to identify her daughter due to the severity of the injuries and the dust and debris caused by the explosion.
To underscore the lasting impact of the attack, the witness displayed her left leg to the court, explaining that it had undergone four surgeries and still contained metal implants as a result of the injuries she sustained.
Both witnesses confirmed under oath that they made extra-judicial statements to the DSS at its Akure office on May 26, 2024.
Their statements were subsequently tendered by the prosecution and admitted into evidence as Exhibits B and C without objection from the defence counsel.
The Federal High Court has been conducting the trial in multiple sessions, with the prosecution painstakingly presenting witness testimonies and material exhibits aimed at establishing the identities of the perpetrators, the planning of the attack, and the sequence of events that led to the mass killing.
Addressing the court, DSS counsel, Adedayo Adedipe (SAN), disclosed that the prosecution intends to call seven more witnesses.
He added that two of them are scheduled to testify at the next hearing, and are expected to shed further light on the planning, execution, and aftermath of the terrorist attack.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, thereafter adjourned the matter to January 14, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.