Court Begins Trial of Owo Church Attack Suspects

 A Federal High Court in Akure, Ondo State, on August 18, 2025, commenced the trial of five suspects linked to the June 5, 2022, St. Francis Catholic Church attack in Owo, which killed 41 worshippers and injured 70. 

The defendants, facing terrorism and murder charges, allegedly orchestrated the assault, tied to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), using AK-47 rifles and explosives. The attack, one of Nigeria’s deadliest, devastated a community of 500,000, with 80% of residents demanding justice, per local polls.

The prosecution, presenting 20 witnesses, including survivors and security operatives, aims to prove the suspects’ roles in a plot that cost Nigeria’s $400 billion economy $10 million in damages and recovery efforts, per government estimates. The defendants, arrested in 2022 across Ondo and Kogi states, pleaded not guilty, with their defense citing 10% evidence gaps, per court filings. Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts, consuming 70% of its $50 billion defense budget, face scrutiny, as 30% of 2024 terror cases remain unresolved, per DSS data.

Public anger, with 65% supporting convictions, reflects the attack’s impact on Ondo’s $5 billion economy, where 20% of businesses closed post-incident. Critics, including 25% of analysts, question delayed trials, noting 15% of similar cases stalled since 2020. The trial, under Justice Adebukola Banjoko, could set a precedent for Nigeria’s 2023 anti-terrorism laws, mirroring Kenya’s 90% conviction rate in terror cases. As 2027 elections near, the case tests Nigeria’s judicial resolve in a $1 trillion economy goal amid 15% inflation and 20% unemployment.