A government witness has given a harrowing account of how he survived the 5 June 2022 mass shooting and bomb attack at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, telling a Federal Court in Abuja that he hid in the church restroom with several children as gunmen stormed the building.
Testifying under the pseudo name SSA, the Akure-based survivor said the assault began just as worshippers were singing the recessional hymn to close the Sunday mass.
He told the Court that three explosions rocked the church midway through the attack, which left more than 40 people dead and many others critically injured.
Facing the congregation at the time, he initially thought someone had tripped.
Moments later, he saw two parishioners rushing to lock the main entrance.
An elder then ran towards him, warning that the church was under attack.
As gunshots rang out outside, he said he hesitated to flee because of the young children beside him.
SSA testified that he and a few others hurried to move the children to safety.
With limited options, they crowded into the church restroom, where gunfire continued to echo around them.
After two explosives detonated, he said the third blast went off dangerously close to their hiding place, leaving a tremor he described as feeling “as if the ground was about to open.”
When told the attackers had fled, he emerged to scenes of casualties, some dead, others badly wounded.
He said he immediately called for the injured to be taken to hospital.
After the first group was evacuated, an ambulance arrived to collect additional victims from the premises.
During cross-examination, defence lawyers pressed him on whether he could identify or count the attackers.
“The one struck by a vehicle doesn’t wait to take note of the vehicle’s number,” the witness said.
He explained that panic and the urgency of rescuing the children made it impossible to take note of the assailants.
Following the session, both counsel requested an adjournment, which Justice Nwite granted. The trial will resume on 13 and 14 January 2026.
Earlier, prosecution lawyer Adedayo Adedipe, SAN, presented a letter formally authorising him to take over the case from former lead counsel Callistus Eze.
The amended nine-count charge was then read to the defendants, who all entered not-guilty pleas.
The Owo church attack remains one of the deadliest terrorist incidents recorded in south-west Nigeria.
The Department of State Services (DSS) later arrested five suspects, alleged to be members of the Al Shabab terrorist organisation.
They include Idris Abdumalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Isris, 20; Jamiu Abdumalik, 26; Anduhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47.
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