Four sentenced to death for attacking Catholic church in Nigeria

A tribunal successful Nigeria has sentenced 4 men to decease for attacking a religion successful the south-western Ondo authorities successful 2022 successful a lawsuit which sent shockwaves crossed the nation.

The tribunal successful the superior Abuja besides sentenced the men - Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris - to 20 years successful situation for belonging to a violent group.

Presidential assent is required earlier immoderate decease condemnation is carried retired successful Nigeria. There person not been immoderate executions successful the state for respective years.

Judge Emeka Nwite, who presided implicit the case, said the grounds presented against them was "neither shaken nor contradicted during transverse examination".

He had ordered an accelerated proceeding aft the high-profile proceedings commenced successful August 2025.

In his judgement, Justice Nwite said that the prosecution had proved their lawsuit beyond tenable uncertainty arsenic they had brought earlier the tribunal witnesses who saw the attack, including 1 who testified to recognising 2 of the defendants arsenic attackers.

"Hence this tribunal finds the archetypal to 4th defendants blameworthy of each 9 counts," helium added.

One of the witnesses the tribunal heard from was a pistillate who had her legs amputated from the knees, and had mislaid her near oculus arsenic a effect of a dynamite detonation which the attackers had detonated.

The 9 counts included joining a panic group, and readying and carrying retired killings.

Prosecutor Ayodeji Adedipe said: "Justice has been served, justness has been done to the deceased who were murdered successful acold blood."

The men's defence lawyer said helium volition entreaty against the sentencing.

A 5th defendant, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was discharged and acquitted by the tribunal owed to insufficient grounds against him.

He was accused of having financed the attack, by allegedly receiving 800,000 naira (£440; $590) doubly from different fishy - who is inactive astatine ample - and past disbursing the funds to the attackers.

During transverse examination, however, Abubakar said the wealth successful his relationship was the proceeds of his farming business, arsenic good arsenic activities from his cooperative society. He denied that the 4 different defendants were beneficiaries of the money.

Since the Owo attack, Nigeria has witnessed galore much attacks connected churches crossed the state arsenic it continues to grapple with rising insecurity.

On Christmas Day, the US deed 2 camps tally by a jihadist radical successful north-western Nigeria, and threatened much if attacks continued.

Claims of a genocide against Nigeria's Christians person been circulating for immoderate clip successful right-wing US circles, but organisations monitoring governmental unit successful Nigeria accidental astir victims of the jihadist groups are Muslims.

The Nigerian authorities besides denies that Christians are being persecuted successful the country.