A survivor of the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State has told the Federal High Court in Abuja how the assault left her without both legs and her left eye.
The woman, identified only as SSD, spoke on Wednesday during the terrorism trial of five men accused of the massacre.
SSD, a nurse and resident of Owo, said she first heard what she thought were firecrackers outside the church as worshippers gathered for Pentecost Sunday service.
She said she ran to the altar to lie down but was unable to raise her head again as gunshots continued and a loud blast occurred, which she believes was a dynamite explosion.
She told Justice Emeka Nwite that she felt “everywhere was bloody” when she touched her eyes and legs, and then realised she could no longer feel her limbs.
She said she was later taken to a hospital with other victims and dead bodies, where doctors amputated both her legs above the knee and removed her left eye. She now uses a prosthetic eye and a wheelchair.
SSD said she spent more than five months in hospital before being discharged and that she still relies on a wheelchair to move. She also told the court that 41 members of the church congregation died in the attack and many others were wounded.
After SSD’s testimony, her husband, identified only as SSE, also took the stand. He corroborated her account and described how he searched through bodies in the church hall to find his wife after the attack began. SSE said he signed for his wife’s amputations in hospital and confirmed that she now lives with no legs and one eye.
The five men on trial are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47). They are facing a nine‑count terrorism charge brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) over their alleged roles in the attack. All pleaded not guilty when arraigned last year.
The prosecution has admitted the statements of both SSD and SSE as exhibits in the case, and the trial continues with witness testimony and evidence aimed at linking the defendants to the Owo church attack.
