A Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment in the trial of five men charged over the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, where 41 worshippers were killed and more than 140 others injured.
Presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, fixed the judgment date for a time to be communicated to parties after both the prosecution and defence adopted their final written addresses.
The judge stated that parties could be notified within 24 hours once the judgment is ready.
During his final address, prosecution counsel representing the Department of State Services, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to convict the five defendants and impose the maximum penalty of death, citing the severity of the alleged offence.
Counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Mohammad, however, asked the court to discharge and acquit his clients, arguing that the prosecution failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The defendants standing trial are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
The trial commenced on August 1, 2025, with the DSS presenting 11 witnesses in support of the charges against the accused persons.
Earlier in the proceedings, the court admitted the defendants’ confessional statements into evidence after conducting a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statements were voluntarily made.
The DSS had also secured accelerated hearing of the case at the beginning of the trial due to the nature of the offence and public interest surrounding the matter.