A woman who survived the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, has told a terrifying story of how she barely escaped death when an explosive device went off next to her during Sunday Mass.
A student from Achara, Anambra State, who went by the name SSC, testified as the third prosecution witness. They informed Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja that the attack happened during the Pentecost Sunday service, which started at 8:00 a.m., according to Channels TV.
She stated she didn’t grasp what was going on right away until an old woman sitting next to her was shot and killed.
She said that in the middle of the turmoil, a man dragged her out of her seat and raced with her to the altar, where she found her brother, Chinedu Ojukwu, who helped her lie down on the floor to be safe.
She said that subsequently, the gunman climbed up to the altar and asked the people lying there whether they knew why the attack was happening.
The witness said that when she looked up for a second, one of the attackers said she had seen his face, threatened to kill her, and dropped an explosive device near her head. Even though her brother helped her move a little, the device went off and hurt her left leg badly.
She informed the court that she had four surgeries, one of which was skin grafting. She now walks with an iron implant in her leg and is still getting medical care.
The witness also said that on the way to the hospital, she noticed her two-year-old cousin’s body outside the church, shot in the back of the head.
SSC added that she later found out that 41 worshippers killed in the incident. She said that this number was published in an obituary magazine during the victims’ mass burial.
On May 26, 2024, she gave a statement at the State Security Service (SSS) facility in Ondo State. It was accepted as evidence.
PW2, SSB, a former security officer and resident of Owo, also told the court what happened during the incident. He informed the court that as Mass was taking on, people outside the church heard gunshots first, and then there were random gunfire inside the church, which scared the people inside.
PW2 reported that security guards yelled for the church doors to be locked as gunshots hit the front door.
He said in court that he observed a man with a gun walk into the church and call to another attacker to join him. One of the assailants shot at the choir gallery while the other shot at people sitting near the lectern during the incident.
The witness added that there were several explosions after that, which made him lie down on the floor in dread.
After the shooting stopped, he looked up and saw three attackers looking around the church, probably to make sure everyone was dead. Then they all signaled each other to leave.
In a tense moment in court, PW2 was asked if he could name the individual with the gun he saw.
At first, he pointed to the fifth defendant, but after the court told him to look more closely, he said the second defendant was the one he saw during the attack.
He further said that the fourth defendant was one of the attackers who had a bag with them during the attack.
Defense lawyers said that the witness couldn’t amend his testimony because he had already given it.
The prosecution, on the other hand, said that the witness needed to see the defendant up close because he had been wearing a face mask in court.
The judge said that questions about the identification should be asked during cross-examination, not at that point.
PW2 also said that after he got away through a window, he noticed the bodies of a woman next to a car and a man next to the church gate. He said that more than 40 people died in the incident.
He added that the hospital was full of injured people, some of whom had to have limbs amputated.
The witness informed the court that he went back to the church the next day and saw a lot of damage, such as bloodstains on the floor and around locations. He also said that he had made a statement to the SSS in 2024, which was accepted as proof.
In the Owo Church attack case, the DSS has named 10 witnesses to back up its case. The trial will continue on January 14, when the matter will be heard again.
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