Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja, Nigeria — A Catholic priest delivered a harrowing eyewitness account this week in a Federal High Court in Abuja as the long-delayed trial over the 2022 Owo church massacre commenced, recalling in vivid detail the terror that engulfed his congregation when gunmen and explosives tore through St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on Pentecost Sunday.
The priest, whose identity is being withheld for security reasons and who testified behind a protective screen, is the first prosecution witness in the trial of five men accused of terrorism and linked to the massacre that claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers and left scores more injured.
Appearing before Justice Emeka Nwite, the cleric recounted how, on June 5, 2022, he was presiding over Mass at St. Francis Catholic Church just as the service was concluding when a loud explosion was followed by sporadic gunfire that threw the congregation into panic.
“At first I thought someone had merely fallen,” the priest told the court, describing the initial confusion. But the atmosphere quickly shifted as two members of the congregation hurried to lock the church’s main entrance and another elder alerted him that they were under attack.
As bullets continued to ring out, the priest said he could not flee because “the children were there,” prompting him and others to shepherd the young into the only shelter available — the church restroom. He described the ordeal inside as chaotic and terrifying, with gunshots and several explosions shaking the building.
Once the attackers had withdrawn, he emerged to a devastating scene. Bodies and critically wounded worshippers lay scattered around the sanctuary, and among them he saw his own choir master shot in the chest. The dying man called to him for prayer. “I did, but I told him I have to move him to the hospital,” the priest testified. He then exhorted others who could drive to assist in transporting the injured to medical facilities.
The factual matrix of the massacre — which occurred during an unusually crowded First Pentecost Sunday service — has been a scar on Nigeria’s national consciousness. Investigations by security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), eventually led to the arrest of the five defendants now on trial in Abuja. They have pleaded not guilty to a nine-count amended terrorism charge.
During cross-examination, the priest also acknowledged the chaos made it impossible to count the number of fatalities precisely as events unfolded, likening the frantic scene to the proverb about someone struck by a vehicle being unable to note its number plate. He said he could not identify any of the attackers due to the intensity of the violence and the urgency of rescuing worshippers.
The Owo attack remains one of Nigeria’s deadliest assaults on a place of worship. On that day, gunmen entered St. Francis Catholic Church during service, detonated improvised devices and opened fire on parishioners and passersby, leaving dozens dead and many more wounded in what security agencies described as a well-organized and coordinated assault.
Survivors and witnesses have continued to relay stories of incredulity and loss in the years since, describing scenes of chaotic escape, desperate searches for missing loved ones and haunting memories of those killed. Many families lost more than one member in the attack, and the broader community has sought both justice and healing in its aftermath.
The prosecution’s opening testimony comes after repeated delays in bringing the case to trial, even as relatives of victims, survivors and civil society groups have pressed for accountability and closure. Security officials have linked the incident to extremist networks active in Nigeria, though exact motives and the identities of others who may have participated remain subjects of ongoing investigation.
As proceedings continue, the priest’s testimony stands as a stark reminder of the human cost of the attack — a moment forever etched in the memories of those present and a narrative now being formally recorded in court. His account, delivered with composure despite the emotional weight of the events he described, underscores both the brutality of the assault and the resilience of those who survived to tell the tale.
The trial is scheduled to reconvene in early 2026, where further evidence will be presented and the defense will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations against the accused. For the families of the victims and the Owo community, the judicial process represents a critical step in confronting the past and seeking justice for lives irrevocably altered on that Pentecost Sunday.
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