Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja — In a powerful and deeply moving testimony before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a prosecution witness has recounted the severe and life-altering injuries she suffered during the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, revealing how an explosive device hurled into the church shattered her legs and destroyed her left eye. The testimony, delivered on Wednesday as part of the ongoing terrorism trial, offered a vivid account of the human toll of one of Nigeria’s deadliest assaults on a place of worship.
The witness, identified in court only by the code name “SSD” for security reasons, told Justice Emeka Nwite that the attack occurred during Pentecost Sunday Mass—a time when the congregation was gathered for worship. According to her testimony, she initially mistook the first gunshots for celebratory firecrackers before the situation rapidly spiralled into chaos. Gunmen surrounded the church, fired indiscriminately at worshippers and, when people crowded toward exits, explosive devices were thrown into the building, causing devastating casualties.
“I heard a loud sound, which I believed to be a dynamite,” the witness told the court, describing the moment the blast erupted amid frantic attempts by worshippers to find safety. “I touched my eyes… everywhere was bloody. I touched my legs and could not feel anything, only what felt like rags and the dangling, shattered parts of my legs.”
The force of the explosion inflicted catastrophic harm. SSD said that medical teams, after extensive treatment, had no option but to amputate both her legs above the knees, and she lost her left eye, which has since been replaced with a prosthetic. She spent more than five months in hospital care and, after discharge, has relied on a wheelchair ever since.
The witness’s testimony not only recounted the horrors of that day but also highlighted her ongoing struggle with the physical aftermath of the attack. Brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair at the prosecution’s request, she showed the judge the damaged eye and the amputated legs to underscore the enduring impact of the explosion. Justice Nwite permitted the powerful visual demonstration as part of her evidence.
SSD told the court that she could not precisely identify how many attackers were involved or describe them in detail, as the violence unfolded too quickly and amid intense fear. She learned about the scale of the casualties only later, after regaining consciousness and asking about the fate of other worshippers. She said she was told that at least 41 members of the congregation died in the assault, with many others sustaining a range of injuries.
Following her testimony, the court also heard from another prosecution witness, her husband, identified as “SSE,” who recounted the dreadful scene he witnessed while searching for his family amid the carnage. He described having to wade through bodies in the church hall while trying to locate his son in the aftermath of the explosions and gunfire. When he eventually found his wife, he did not initially recognize her due to the severity of her injuries.
SSE corroborated his wife’s account of their time in the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, where he signed the consent for her amputations after doctors determined it was the only way to save her life. He also told the court about earlier promises by the Ondo State Government to provide prosthetic legs, which he said were never fulfilled before the tenure of the then administration ended, and that appeals to the current state health authorities had yielded no tangible support.
The testimony forms part of the prosecution’s broader case in the terrorism trial against five men — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) — who are accused of coordinating and executing the deadly attack. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the nine-count terrorism charge brought against them by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Legal representatives for the prosecution have described survivor testimonies as crucial to illustrating the full impact of the attack on innocent worshippers and to establishing links between the defendants and the events of that day. Justice Nwite admitted the statements of both SSD and SSE as exhibits and adjourned the proceedings to February 10 and 11 for the continuation of the trial, where additional witnesses and evidence are expected to be presented.
The June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo remains a haunting chapter in Nigeria’s history, marked by widespread loss of life and severe injuries. As the trial unfolds in Abuja, testimony such as that given by SSD underscores the profound and long-lasting consequences of terrorism on survivors, their families and communities long after the violence has ended.
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