Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has directed defence counsel in the ongoing trial of five suspects accused of the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, to properly guide their witnesses and restrict testimony to issues directly tied to the charges.
The directive came after prosecution counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, complained that the defendants’ evidence was repetitive and unnecessarily prolonging proceedings. While stressing the importance of fair hearing, Justice Nwite agreed that the defence was straying from the facts of the case and urged counsel Abdullahi Mohammed to streamline witness testimony to save judicial time.
The DSS, prosecuting on behalf of the Federal Government, has already closed its case after calling nine witnesses. The suspects: Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Quasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were arrested in Kogi and Ondo States in August 2022.
The attack left 41 worshippers dead and 150 injured, many with life‑altering wounds from gunfire and explosives. The trial resumes on March 25 for continuation of defence.
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