Nigerian prosecutors arraigned five men accused of carrying out a deadly Islamist militant attack on a Catholic church in Owo, in the southwestern Ondo state, that killed at least 50 worshippers in 2022 and wounded over 100 others https://t.co/td5BaG9eES pic.twitter.com/LoRGagttjw
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Nigerian prosecutors on Monday arraigned five men accused of carrying out the 2022 Islamist militant attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left at least 50 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured.
The suspects appeared before a Federal High Court in Abuja on multiple charges, including terrorism, murder, and conspiracy. Prosecutors allege the men were part of a militant cell that stormed the church during Sunday Mass on June 5, 2022, firing indiscriminately at congregants and detonating explosives.
The attack, one of the deadliest on a place of worship in Nigeria’s recent history, drew widespread condemnation both locally and internationally. Authorities said investigations linked the suspects to a wider network of extremists operating in the country’s north.
The defendants pleaded not guilty. The court ordered their remand in custody and adjourned the trial to a later date.