. As prosecution counsel seeks death penalty for suspects of Owo massacre
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Defence Headquarters, (DHQ) has said that troops neutralized 317 terrorists, arrested 314 suspects and rescued 221 kidnapped victims in their various theaters of operations across the country in the 2nd quarter of the year.
This was disclosed by the Director of Media Operations, (DMO) Major General Micheal Onoja on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the activities of the armed forces saying that troops maintained a relentless posture until the perpetrators are brought to account and the region’s security is completely restored.
Major General Onoja said in the North East, no fewer than 73 insurgent was killed, 159 suspects arrested, 112 kidnapped victims rescued while 18 repented terrorists surrendered to the troops .
According to him, troops of Operation HADIN KAI sustained offensive operations against Boko Haram/ISWAP remnants across Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, and Yobe States, recording a compelling succession of operational successes during the period.
He said the period between 15th – 25th May 2026, troops witnessed a marked acceleration in clearance operations and an unprecedented wave of voluntary terrorist surrenders, powerfully demonstrating the irreversible erosion of insurgent morale under relentless military pressure.
Also, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA sustained engagements against armed terrorists across Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara States throughout the period, severely degrading hostile networks through aggressive offensive action and precision intelligence operations.
He added that in all, 24 insurgents were neutralized, 13 were arrested, while 22 civilians were rescued.
On Operation ENDURING PEACE, he said troops demonstrated relentless operational drive across Plateau and parts of Bauchi, Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna and Nasarawa States during the period, recording landmark results in the neutralisation of kidnapping networks and the elimination of dangerous criminal infrastructure embedded within civilian communities.
He mentioned that no fewer than 9 terrorists were neutralized, 36 were arrested while 15 civilians were rescued.
He noted that following the arrest of two kidnappers in Qua’an Pan LGA of Plateau State on 29 April, a targeted follow-up operation neutralised four additional gang members in their hideout.
Similarly, a suspect was apprehended along the Abaji-Kwali road in Abuja, found to have concealed 250 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition within a vehicle’s engine compartment.
He stressed that the arrest exposed the calculated mechanisms through which illegal arms are trafficked within the country.
“Troops of Operation DELTA SAFE sustained a multi-domain offensive across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers States throughout the period, dismantling kidnapping networks and criminal economic saboteurs targeting Nigeria’s petroleum infrastructure.
“In all, 14 criminals were arrested, 3 illegal refining sites were destroyed while 21, 910 litres of assorted petroleum products were recovered.
“Complementing these humanitarian efforts, on 13 May 2026, the Nigerian Army, through Operation FANSAN YAMMA, donated 400 bags of fertilizer to farming communities in Maru LGA of Zamfara State in a timely and impactful intervention aimed at boosting food production and reinforcing civil-military relations ahead of the 2026 farming season.
“ At a distribution ceremony held at the palace of the Emir of Maru, the Nigerian Army reaffirmed the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to improving community livelihoods through non-kinetic initiatives that run parallel with active security operations,” he stated.
Troops were commended for their gallantry and urged Nigerians to provide timely intelligence information to sustain the gains.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of involvement in the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, in which 41 worshippers were killed.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, fixed judgment for a date to be communicated to the parties after counsel to the prosecution and defence adopted their final written addresses.
The judge informed lawyers that the court would notify them once the judgment was ready, adding that the notice could come within 24 hours.
During his final address, counsel to the Department of State Services, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to convict the defendants and impose the maximum sentence of death because of the gravity of the offence allegedly committed.
Counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Mohammad, however, prayed the court to discharge and acquit his clients, arguing that the prosecution failed to establish its case against them.
The defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
The DSS had called 11 witnesses in the trial, which commenced on August 1, 2025, to prove the allegations against the suspects.
The court had earlier admitted the defendants’ confessional statements after conducting a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statements were voluntarily made.
More than 140 persons were also injured in the attack, while the DSS had sought and obtained an accelerated hearing of the case at the commencement of the trial.
