A witness of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the case against four suspected terrorists behind the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, on Tuesday identified one of the defendants as part of the actual attackers.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SADR.jpeg")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
The witness, who said he is a member of the Ondo Security Network, tagged “Amotekun,” told a Federal High Court in Abuja that he was able to identify the 2nd defendant, Al Qasim Idris, because they had an exchange of gunfire at close range.
This is the second time since the trial opened that a prosecution witness has identified some of the defendants as the attackers.
The 2nd prosecution witness (PW-2), identified as “SSB,” who said he is a member of the church and was present during the attack, had, while testifying on January 13, identified Al Qasim Idris (2nd defendant) and Abdulhaleem Idris (4th defendant) as those he saw among the attackers.
The DSS is prosecuting Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25 years), Al Qasim Idris (20 years), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26 years), Abdulhaleem Idris (25 years), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47 years) on alleged terrorism offences involving the June 5, 2022, attack on the church.
Led in evidence by prosecuting lawyer Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, PW-7, identified as “SSG” for security reasons, told the court that he was informed of the attack by his state’s commander, who ordered him and his team to move to the church.
The witness said that upon arriving at the church, he saw blood everywhere and corpses of children, men, and women on the floor, including in the church hall. He said he saw about 35 corpses.
PW-7 said that he and members of his team were told the attackers had just left the church in a Nissan Sunny car and were heading in a particular direction.
“We learnt the attackers moved towards Achievers University at Ute Road. I pursued them with my men in our patrol vehicle.
“When we got to Ijegunman Village, they ran into the bush as soon as they saw us. There were four of them.
“As they ran, they left the vehicle by the side of the road in Ijegunman, Ute. I searched the vehicle and found a pack of pure water.
“The color of the vehicle is blue with registration number AKR/895/AG. I sent two of my men to drive the vehicle to the Amotekun office in Owo,” he said.
SSG told the court that he and a hunter who worked with his team went after the fleeing attackers into the bush and at one point ran into them where they were hiding.
The witness said the attackers, each armed with an AK47 rifle, began shooting at them, and he responded with his pump-action gun.
He said during the exchange of gunfire, three of the attackers ran deeper into the bush, leaving one who hid behind a tree and aimed at him with his AK47 rifle, killing the hunter who was behind him.
The witness said he saw the man who killed the hunter at close range and could identify him, even though the incident happened about four years ago.
At that point, Adedipe applied to the court to allow the witness to move closer to the dock, where the defendants stood, to identify the man who shot and killed the hunter, an application the defence lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammad, did not oppose.
With the judge’s permission, the witness stepped off the witness box and moved closer to the dock, where he pointed at the 2nd defendant, Al Qasim Idris (20 years).
The witness said that on the second day, June 6, 2022, he took pictures of the recovered vehicle before transferring it to Amotekun’s state headquarters, using his Samsung Galaxy A12. He identified the photographs when shown by the prosecuting lawyer, following which the pictures were tendered and admitted in evidence.
He said he later transferred both his report and the vehicle to the state’s Amotekun headquarters.
Under cross-examination by Mohammad, the witness, when asked to reconfirm the person he actually saw, went closer to the dock again and still pointed at the 2nd defendant.
When asked why he could not arrest the 2nd defendant, who was alone with him while the other three fled deeper into the bush, the witness said he could not because the man was holding an AK47 rifle, which is more powerful than his own pump-action rifle.
The witness, who said he is an Assistant Commander in Amotekun, added that he was also unsure whether the other three attackers were hiding to come after him later.
PW-7 said the 2nd defendant was later arrested as a result of collaborative efforts by all the security agencies in Ondo State.
Regarding the recovered car’s current whereabouts, he said it is at his headquarters, where he handed it over to his boss, and only his boss can confirm whether they investigated the vehicle’s actual ownership.
Earlier, the 6th prosecution witness (PW-6), identified as “SSF,” described himself as a pathologist who conducted autopsies on the corpses of victims of the church attack.
A certified true copy (CTC) of the autopsy was tendered by the prosecution and admitted in evidence without objection from the defence.
The witness was asked to identify some names of corpses reflected in the autopsy report. He identified Dr. Ajanaku John Adesina, listed on page 11 of 35 as body number nine; John Bosede, listed as body number 17 on page 18 of 35; Onileke Ester Ilerioluwa, listed as body number 13 on page 14 of 35; and Onuoha Deborah, listed as body number 4 on page 29 of 35.
On the cause of death, the witness said: “Generally, all the bodies bore marks of gunshot injuries, caused by bullets fired from varying distances, resulting in organ ruptures, skeletal damage, and massive bleeding that led to exsanguination and death.”
The promotion, which commenced on January 8 and runs until February 8, 2026, offers five core maritime law books authored by Dr. Emeka Akabogu, SAN, ordinarily valued at N405,000, for just N150,000 — a 63% discount.
Interested buyers can place their orders through the following channels:
Phone: 0704 329 3271
Online Store: https://paystack.shop/aa-bookstore
Website: www.akabogulaw.com
______________________________________________________________________
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
Bonus:
Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.
How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626
________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola
_______________________________________________________________________
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
