A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced to death four out of the five men charged with the June 5, 2022 attack at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State.
In a judgement on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that the four – Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris are to die by hanging, while the fifth, Momoh Otuho Abubakar, was discharged and acquitted on all the charges.
Justice Nwite convicted the four on the entire nine counts on which they were prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Claims that Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), supported the ruling administration have been refuted.
Adeboye has continuously maintained a neutral position on partisan politics, according to a statement issued by RCCG Public Relations on Tuesday.
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The church clarified that the pastor does not support any political party; instead, he only advises members to get their Permanent Voter Cards and cast their ballots for the politicians of their choosing.
“Pastor E.A Adeboye has always encouraged members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God to get their PVC’s and vote for anyone of their choice. He has always maintained a neutral stance on political parties as members of the church are memnbers of various parties”, the statement reads.
The church also refuted reports that Adeboye cancelled a planned protest. It said he merely communicated a directive from the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria concerning changes to a three-day prayer programme and rally.
“Pastor E.A. Adeboye only communicated the instruction of the Pentecostal Fellowship in Nigeria to members of the RCCG on the updated plan to have the grand finale of the Three Day Prayer Program in a centralized venue and hold a rally around the venue. This was communicated by PFN to all churches under PFN in Nigeria,” it said.
