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Horror catholic church massacre killing 41 as four men handed death penalty

Four men have been sentenced to death in Nigeria over a horrific 2022 Catholic church massacre that left 41 worshippers dead and more than 100 others injured

[A Nigerian court has handed down death sentences to four men behind a bloodcurdling church massacre. Archive picture shows the aftermath of the incident]

A Nigerian court has handed down death sentences to four men behind a bloodcurdling church massacre. Archive picture shows the aftermath of the incident

A Nigerian court has handed down death sentences to four men behind a bloodcurdling church massacre that left the nation reeling. The ruthless killers struck the St Francis Catholic church in Owo, a town in south-western Ondo state, during a Pentecost service in 2022.

The attackers opened fire on the congregation, slaughtering 41 worshippers and leaving more than 100 others with horrific injuries.

The four men, identified as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris, were condemned to death by a court in the capital city of Abuja. They were also slapped with 20-year prison terms for their involvement with a banned terrorist organisation.

[The attack on St Francis Catholic church in Owo sent shockwaves through the local community]

The attack on St Francis Catholic church in Owo sent shockwaves through the local community(Image: REUTERS)

Before the executions can go ahead, the Nigerian President must officially sign off on the sentences. No executions have actually taken place in the country for a number of years. Presiding Judge Emeka Nwite said the case against the quartet was watertight, noting the evidence was "neither shaken nor contradicted during cross examination". The high-profile trial kicked off in August 2025, with the judge ordering the proceedings to be fast-tracked.

In his final ruling, Justice Nwite declared that prosecutors had successfully proven their case beyond any doubt, bringing forward eyewitnesses to the carnage.

One brave witness even testified that they explicitly recognised two of the defendants in the dock. The judge said: "Hence this court finds the first to fourth defendants guilty of all nine counts."

Among the harrowing testimonies heard by the court was that of a woman who suffered life-changing injuries. She had both legs amputated from the knee down and lost her left eye after the terrorists detonated a devastating dynamite bomb inside the church.

The gang faced nine counts in total, including terror group membership alongside plotting and executing the mass murder.

Following the verdict, prosecutor Ayodeji Adedipe said: "Justice has been served, justice has been done to the deceased who were murdered in cold blood."

[The attackers killed 41 worshippers and left more than 100 others injured]

The attackers killed 41 worshippers and left more than 100 others injured

Lawyers representing the condemned men have already vowed to launch an appeal against the heavy sentences.

Throughout the trial, the defendants claimed they were subjected to brutal torture while in custody, alleging they were hung from ceilings, repeatedly battered and subjected to electric shocks on their genitals.

Meanwhile, a fifth suspect, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, walked free after being acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

Abubakar had faced accusations of bankrolling the slaughter. It was alleged he twice received 800,000 naira (440) from another suspect who remains on the run, before doling the cash out to the gunmen.

However, during intense questioning, Abubakar maintained the funds in his account came from his farming trade and a local cooperative society, denying that a single penny went to the other four men.

In the years since the Owo atrocity, Nigeria has been plagued by a wave of similar assaults on churches as authorities battle a terrifying spike in lawlessness.

The security crisis has caught the attention of Washington. US President Donald Trump has previously hit out at Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to shield its Christian community from bloody jihadist onslaughts.

Tensions boiled over on Christmas Day when US forces launched air strikes on two jihadist camps in north-western Nigeria, warning of further military action if the violence doesn't stop.

While right-wing commentators in the US have claimed a "genocide" is being waged against Nigeria's Christians, independent conflict monitors report that the vast majority of those killed by jihadist networks in the region are actually Muslims.

The Nigerian government has fiercely rubbished claims that Christians are facing state-backed persecution.

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