A Catholic priest has given a harrowing account in court of the June 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, stating that over 40 members of his parish were killed in an assault that made them “see hell.”
Testifying behind a protective shield at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the priest (identified only as ‘SSA’ for security) described the moment the attack began towards the end of a Pentecost Sunday service. “Suddenly, I heard a loud sound… I heard the sporadic shooting of guns… and the use of about three explosives,” he stated.
He recounted hiding with children in a safe room as a third explosive landed nearby with an effect “like the ground opening to swallow us.” After the attackers fled, he emerged to find his choir master shot and many congregants dead. “I saw some already dead on the floor,” he testified.
Five alleged members of the Al Shabab sect are on trial for the attack. The priest stated he could not identify the assailants amidst the chaos. The case has been adjourned to January 2026.
Disclaimer:
This report is based on court testimony. The trial is ongoing, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
© 2025 CDA News. All rights reserved.
