A Catholic priest delivered a deeply emotional testimony on Thursday before the Federal High Court in Abuja, detailing how terrorists armed with explosives attacked the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022, resulting in the deaths of forty members of his congregation. Testifying in the trial of five individuals accused of being members of Al Shabab who allegedly planned the assault, the priest, whose identity was protected for security reasons, disclosed that the attackers detonated at least three explosive devices inside the church building. He informed the court that the church service was nearing its end when the sudden eruption of gunfire caused panic and widespread confusion among the worshippers. Speaking from behind a protective screen, the priest explained that he was designated to conduct the community worship, known as the holy mass, when the violence erupted. The attack occurred during the final moments of the First Pentecost Sunday service, which had drawn a large number of people.
Led in presenting his evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Ayodeji Adedipe, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the priest, identified in court as PW-1 and referred to only as “SSA,” described June 5, 2022, as a date permanently marked in his memory due to the profound suffering he experienced. He stated that the date was when the violent assault was launched against him and the entire worshipping community of St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. He specified that the incident caused the immediate deaths of over forty people, while others were left permanently injured or maimed. He recalled that the attack began toward the conclusion of the worship service that day, as he was the priest assigned to lead the Mass. As he was performing the final rites, and the congregation began singing the recessional or closing hymn, he suddenly heard a loud noise. He looked out at the congregation and saw immediate chaos, which he initially mistook for someone having fallen. However, he then saw two men from the congregation, who were members of their community, quickly lock the main entrance door, and another elder in the church approached him in the sanctuary and told him, “Father, we are under attack.” He then heard continuous, rapid gunfire coming from outside the church, and the elder urged him to leave.
The priest explained his initial hesitation to leave the sanctuary, which stemmed largely from his concern for the children who affectionately called him father. After taking his leave from the sanctuary, he and some adults moved some of the children into an attached room that served as a safe place. While inside this area, he continued to hear constant gunfire and the detonation of approximately three explosives. He said the third explosive detonated very near the safe location where he was sheltering with the children, creating an effect that was like the ground ripping open to immediately swallow them. The attack persisted for a while until some church members entered the safe area and notified them that the attackers had left. Moving out with the children, he saw his choir master with a gunshot wound in his chest. The choir master asked the priest to pray for him, which he did, but he also informed him that he needed to be rushed to the hospital. Upon exiting, he saw several people already dead on the floor and immediately shouted for anyone who could still drive to start moving their injured brothers and sisters to the hospital.
When asked whether he could immediately determine the exact number of casualties, the priest explained that the violent attack made him realize the truth of the proverb that says someone hit by a vehicle does not stop to note the license plate number, meaning he could not immediately count the dead. He personally made two trips to the Federal Medical Centre, or FMC, in Owo, to transport the victims. By the time he arrived the second time, ambulances from both FMC Owo and St. Louis Catholic Hospital, Owo, were also moving the injured and deceased to the two hospitals. On his second arrival at the FMC, the emergency ward was completely filled with the casualties, who included both the killed and the injured. The level of public wailing, weeping, and crying prevented him from being able to drive again, and the process of caring for and healing the injured continued. He added that he subsequently provided a statement to the Department of State Service, or DSS, in Akure, Ondo State. During the cross-examination conducted by the defense lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammad, the priest stated that he could not determine the number of attackers due to the intense chaos and his primary focus on saving the victims, particularly the children. He said that with the commotion in the church and his urgent desire to rescue the victims as quickly as possible, he was unable to identify or recognize the individuals who carried out the assault and therefore does not know how many of them there were. Trial Justice Emeka Nwite postponed the proceedings until January 13 and 14, 2026, for the continuation of the hearing.
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