BREAKING: Court Denies Bail To Suspected Al-Shabab Terrorists

The Federal High Court in Abuja has denied bail to five men accused of being members of the terrorist group Al-Shabab, who allegedly carried out the attack on a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, where over 40 worshippers were killed.

Justice Emeka Nwite, while ruling on their bail application, said the charges against the defendants were capital in nature and too serious to warrant their release.

The judge held that the accused were alleged members of a terrorist organisation and could intimidate witnesses or obstruct justice if granted bail. He upheld the arguments of the Department of State Services (DSS) that the evidence against the suspects was weighty, and further ruled that the defendants failed to present credible sureties.

Justice Nwite added that granting bail would pose a judicial risk, a submission by the DSS which the defence failed to challenge. He also faulted the bail application for not listing the names of the defendants on the motion paper and for filing a joint affidavit instead of individual affidavits as required by law.

Consequently, the court dismissed the bail request and ordered an accelerated trial, fixing October 19 for the proceedings to begin.

The bail application, filed on August 11, 2025, was argued on August 19 by defence counsel Abdullahi Awwal Ibrahim, who claimed the accused had secured reliable sureties. The DSS, represented by Dr. Callistus Eze, opposed the request, insisting that the gravity of the charges made the suspects a flight risk.

The defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.