Owo Church Attack: 8th DSS Witness Testifies in Court in Ongoing Trial

Abuja,February 12, 2026

An eighth prosecution witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday testified in the ongoing trial of suspects accused of carrying out the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The witness corroborated the testimony earlier given by the seventh prosecution witness, who identified one of the defendants as a participant in the deadly assault on worshippers.

Testifying before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the eighth witness, an operative of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, identified the second defendant, Al Quasim Idris, as one of the alleged attackers.
Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, the witness told the court that he was among the security personnel who arrived at the church premises shortly after the attack occurred. He recounted that upon receiving information about the incident, his team mobilised to the scene.
According to him, shortly after arriving at the church, they were informed that the attackers were four in number and had fled the scene in a blue Nissan vehicle. He said the security operatives pursued the suspects into a nearby bush where they engaged in an intense gun battle.

The witness stated that during the exchange of gunfire at close range, he sighted Al Quasim Idris among the assailants. He added that the attackers killed a volunteer hunter during the confrontation but abandoned the blue Nissan vehicle, which was subsequently recovered by security operatives.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Abdullahi Mohammad, the witness admitted that he could not recall how many officers brought the body of the slain hunter out of the bush. He also stated that he did not know the owner of the recovered vehicle.

At the conclusion of the cross-examination, the prosecuting counsel requested a three-day adjournment to enable the prosecution to present its remaining witnesses and close its case. The request was not opposed by the defence.
Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter to March 24, 25, and 26 for continuation of trial.