A Catholic priest, yesterday, narrated before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a blood-chilling account of how terrorists that were armed with explosives, struck and killed over 40 members of his parish, St Francis, at Owo in Ondo State, on June 5, 2022.
Giving his Evidence-in-Chief in the ongoing trial of five alleged members of the Al Shabab terrorist sect that masterminded the attack, the clergy, whose name was shielded for security reasons, disclosed that the assailants detonated no fewer than three explosives inside the church.
He told the court that the church service was almost ended when sporadic gunshots that created commotion and chaos among worshipers began. According to the witness who testified behind a protective shield, he was the priest assigned to “lead the community in worship, which is known as the holy mass,” when the pandemonium ensued.
He lamented that the attack took place towards the end of the First Pentecost Sunday celebration service, which many worshippers attended.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, the priest, who is the first witness, PW-1, simply identified as “SSA”, described June 5, 2022, as a memorable day in his life owing to the harrowing experience he had. He said: “This is so because it was the day when the violent attack was launched on us, myself and all the worshipping community of St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.
“It was an incident which led to the death of over 40 persons among us. While some of us became maimed, some of us, till this point, have permanent physical injuries.“I recall that the attack was towards the end of the worship that day.I was the priest assigned to lead the community in worship, which is known as Mass.
“Towards the end of the mass, I was performing the last rites, and the people of God had started singing the recessional hymn, the closing hymn.
“Suddenly, I heard a loud sound. I looked into the congregation, facing them. There was already a commotion, which, for me, I thought was somebody who had fallen”.
“But I sighted two men from our congregation; these men were members of our community.
“They quickly locked the main entrance door, and another elder in the church came to me in the sanctuary and said to me, ‘Father, we are under attack. From this point, I heard the sporadic shooting of guns. This was still outside the church. This elder told me, ‘Father, you have to leave.’
“At first, I was reluctant to leave the sanctuary. If not for anything, at least because of those children, who call me father. So, taking my leave from the sanctuary, some adults and I move some of these children into a safe place; this is an attachment to the church.
“When I was in this place (the safe place), I continued to hear the continuous shooting of guns and the use of about three explosives. The third explosive landed very close to the safe place, where I was with the children, with the effect of which looked like the opening of the ground.
“The effect was like the ground opening to swallow us immediately. So, the attack continued. After a while, some of our church members came into this place (safe place) and notified us that those who came to attack us had left. Moving out with the children, I saw my choir master shot in the chest.
“He called me to pray for him. I did, but I told him I have to move him to the hospital. When I got out, I saw some already dead on the floor.
So, I shouted that if there are any of us who could still drive, let us begin to move our brothers and sisters to the hospital.”
Asked if he was able to count the number of members of the church that lost their lives immediately after the attack, the witness said he couldn’t do so in view of the commotion that trailed the incident.
“It was with that violent attack that I understood that proverb that says, ‘The one struck or hit by a vehicle does not wait to take note of the vehicle’s number plate. So, I could not immediately count the number of those that were dead.
“Personally, I went two times to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, to take the casualties to the hospital. By the time I came the second time, there were already ambulances, both from FMC Owo and St Louis Catholic Hospital, Owo, also moving the casualties to these two hospitals.
“The second time I got to FMC, the emergency ward was filled up with these casualties. The casualties were those that were killed and injured. With the wailing, weeping and crying from people, I could not even drive again. The care and healing of those injured continued,” he added.
He told the court that he was later invited to the office of the Department of State Service, DSS, in Akure, Ondo State, where he made a statement.
While being cross-examined by the defence lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammad, the witness said he could not ascertain the exact number of those who carried out the attack.
He said: “With the commotion in the church and my desire to rescue the victims, especially the children, as quickly as possible, I could not and I did not identify or recognise those who carried out the attack. Therefore, I don’t know their number.”
Trial Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter until January 13 and 14, 2026, for further hearing.
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