The Department of State Services (DSS), which prosecuted the case, urged the court to impose the maximum punishment prescribed by law on the defendants, insisting that the scale of bloodshed and brutality witnessed during the attack demanded severe consequences.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of masterminding the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, one of the deadliest attacks on worshippers in Nigeria’s recent history.
Justice Emeka Nwite fixed judgment for a date to be communicated to parties, stating that hearing notices would be issued once the court was ready, possibly within 24 hours.
The Department of State Services (DSS), which prosecuted the case, urged the court to impose the maximum punishment prescribed by law on the defendants, insisting that the scale of bloodshed and brutality witnessed during the attack demanded severe consequences.
Lead prosecuting counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe, in his final address, urged the court to convict the defendants and sentence them to death, arguing that the prosecution had established its case through what he described as compelling evidence, painstaking investigations and intelligence findings.
