Five suspects accused of being behind the 2022 bloody attack on Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, were arraigned before an Abuja High Court on Monday.
They pleaded not guilty to the nine counts of terrorism charges preferred against them by the Federal Government.
The suspects standing trial in the case are Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdul Malik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Abubakar.
READ MORE: REPORTER’S DIARY: Mass of No Return: Aftermath of the Owo Catholic Church Attack
Among other things, they have all also been accused of being members of the Al-Shabab terrorist group, a Sunni Islamist militant group that has its roots in Somalia.
On June 17, 2022, FIJ published a special report that highlighted how close to 50 congregants worshipping within the Catholic Church were killed during an ongoing mass.
READ MORE: ‘They Shot at Adults, Kids Without Saying a Word’, Reveals Catholic Church Massacre Survivor
Survivors and family members of the congregants who died in the attack also gave an account of how the incident happened, the impact it made, and the grief and loss they would have to contend with for a long time.
Justice Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, has fixed August 19, for the commencement of the five suspects’ trial.
The judge also ordered that the suspects be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) till the set trial date.
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