Owo attack: DSS closes case with 11 witnesses

The Department of State Services (DSS), on Thursday, closed its case before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in the trial of the five men being prosecuted by the secret police for attacking St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State. The Court also admitted in evidence the confessional statements and gadgets of one […]

The Department of State Services (DSS), on Thursday, closed its case before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in the trial of the five men being prosecuted by the secret police for attacking St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State.

The Court also admitted in evidence the confessional statements and gadgets of one of the five men regarding the attack on the church, which claimed at least 40 lives and left several others wounded.

Daily Trust reports that no fewer than five suspects, including Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, were nabbed by the secret police after the attack.

They were subsequently taken to the Court for a trial, which began on August 1, 2025, and the DSS lined up at least eleven witnesses to testify against the suspects.

Testifying as the prosecution’s 11th witness on Thursday, a DSS operative, identified as SSK, told the court that his team employed several forensic methods, including what he called “geospatial network filtering and cell tower triangulation.”

Led in evidence by the prosecuting lawyer, Ayodeji Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the DSS officer identified the digital forensic examination report his team produced, which the prosecuting lawyer tendered in evidence without any objection from the defence lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammad.

Also admitted in evidence was a black Tecno mobile phone the officer told the court their forensic analysis proved it belonged to the first defendants, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza.

Under cross examination by Muhammad, the witness said it took his team over a month to locate and arrest the first defendant.

At the end of the 11th prosecution witness’ testimony, Adedipe announced the closure of the prosecution’s case.

When asked by the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, how many witnesses he planned to call, the defence lawyer said he would call only the defendants as witnesses in the defence’s case.

Justice Nwite adjourned till March 4 and 5 for the defence to open its case.