The Department of State Services (DSS) has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to reject the bail application of five men accused of masterminding the June 5, 2022, terror attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which claimed about 40 lives and left more than 100 injured.
In its counter-affidavit, the DSS alleged that the suspects have ties to foreign terrorist fighters associated with the Al-Shabab group and warned that granting them bail could jeopardize national security, endanger witnesses, and derail the trial.
The accused persons — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) — were arraigned on August 11 on a nine-count charge (FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025) bordering on terrorism.
The DSS claimed that the suspects’ accomplices, still at large, were actively monitoring the trial with plans to intimidate witnesses and stage a jailbreak.
Prosecuting counsel Dr. Calistus Eze backed the DSS position, stressing that threats to witnesses are ongoing. The court also granted the prosecution’s application for witness protection, allowing witnesses to testify under anonymity, veiled and hooded.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the ruling on the bail application until September 10.
