Court Deliberates on Bail for Owo Church Attack Suspects

Five men accused of a deadly attack on a Catholic church in Nigeria were denied immediate bail pending a court decision. They have been in custody since their 2022 arrest for the attack that killed over 50 people. Their defense cited unjust detention, while prosecutors flagged security threats.

Five men appearing in a Nigerian court on Tuesday faced charges related to a fatal militant attack on a Catholic church in the southwestern town of Owo last year. The defendants, whose trial commenced this week, are being held until a ruling on their bail application on September 10.

The massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church left at least 50 dead and over 100 injured, causing national outrage and exposing how Islamist militants are extending their influence beyond Nigeria's northeastern region. The suspects pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearance last week.

Defense lawyer Abdullahi Muhammad argued that the men's prolonged detention was unwarranted and pushed for their release on bail. However, prosecutor Ayodele Adedipe objected, pointing to national security threats and the suspects' alleged foreign terrorist affiliations, along with discrepancies in the bail application and potential threats to witnesses.

(With inputs from agencies.)