By TAIYE AGBAJE

One of the five persons accused by the Department of State Services (DSS) of carrying out the June 5, 2022 attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State, on Wednesday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja, how he was arrested by the secret police.

Omeiza, opened his defence Justice Emeka Nwite while being led in evidence by the defence lawyer, Abdullahi Muhammad.

The suspect gave his testimony in Ebira Language and was interpreted in English by a court staff.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of 41 worshippers were killed during the terror attack on the church, while over 140 others suffered various injuries.

The DSS had called 11 witnesses to establish the allegations against the defendants in the trial that began on Aug. 1, 2025.

The trial court had admitted the confessional statements of the defendants following the conclusion of the trial- within-trial conducted to establish that the witnesses’ statement were voluntarily given.

The five 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 DSS had sought an accelerated hearing in the trial which was granted by the court.

Omeiza, who claimed to be an auxiliary nurse, told the court that he was arrested on Aug. 1, 2022 alongside two other young boys named Hauwa and Yusuf, in the same house.

“I normally wake up in the morning to read my book. As I was reading, I looked at the clock and it was 2:26am.

“Suddenly, I heard noises outside. I then dropped the book I was reading, opened my window, to see what was going on.

” I saw a group of people wearing all black clothes with a cover on their faces. They forced open the door and entered,” he stated.

According to him, they wanted to know where his older brother, Jamiu was.

“They arrested two boys from the room opposite mine. I gave them the boys’ names as Awal and Yusuf.

Omeza told that court that it was at the DSS facility in Lokoja, the state capital, that he met the 5th defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, who had also been arrested by operatives of the secret police.

At the DSS office in Lokoja, Omeiza explained that the four of them were kept in a room where information in respect of their names, schools attended, their work, and their father’s name was obtained and recorded.

The following day, said the defendant, he volunteered statement and was in detention till Aug. 18, 2022 when he got to know that his elder brother was also arrested.

He further told the court that before Aug. 18, 2022, when they were moved to Ondo State, the DSS didn’t say anything relating to the Owo Catholic Church attack and membership of ISWAP or any other terror organisation, with him.

At the Ondo State DSS headquarters office, Omeiza claimed he was detained alongside his elder brother in the same room where interrogators questioned them about the attack on Owo Catholic Church.

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until March 6 for the continuation of their defence. (NAN)

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