Owo Church massacre: Nigerians call out CDS on Idris Ojo

The announcement by the Chief of Defence Staff Lucky Irabor, during a media parley that joint operation between the Nigerian Army, Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other intelligence agencies, had led to the arrest of some suspected masterminds of the Owo Catholic Church attack, has raked up some controversy.

Nigerians have raised questions over the inclusion of a certain Idris Ojo who was on the list of inmates that escaped from Kuje Prison as one of those arrested in connection with the Owo Catholic Church massacre that happened much earlier that the prison attack.

Specifically, the massacre happened before the escape of the inmates, including Idris Ojo, at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre following the attack by Boko Haram terrorists.

Addressing news editors and media executives during the meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, Irabor said five persons linked to the attack had been arrested between August 4 – 7, adding that he took a last-minute decision not to present them to the press, as investigations were still ongoing.

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“It is my pleasure to let you know that starting with the church attack, we have arrested those behind the dastardly act. It was my intention to present them to the public, but of course, because of certain investigations we’re still carrying out, I had to at the last count, change my mind.

“On the 7th of August, Idris Ojo, who is 32 years old, was apprehended at Aiyetorosi in Ondo State. He is one of the high-profile Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists that escaped from Kuje Prison,” Irabor said.

He named the other four suspects as Idris Omeiza (otherwise known as Ibn Malik), Momoh Abubakar, Aliyu Itopa and Auwal Onimisi, who were arrested on August 4, at Eika in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Omeiza is alleged to be one of the masterminds of the Catholic Church attack, as well as the attack on the police station in Adavi in Kogi State, which led to the killing of a policeman and carting away of weapons.

Corroborating the announcement by the military, Governor of Ondo State Rotimi Akeredolu, said five of the attackers had been arrested, including the owner of the house in Owo where the attackers stayed before the church attack.

“I am happy to announce that we have confirmed the arrest of the attackers of St Francis Catholic Church, Owo. The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor has also announced it. We have known for a while but we needed not to come out with it because more works are still ongoing,” Akeredolu said in a tweet via his verified twitter handle @RotimiAkeredolu.

But Nigerians, including the media, have taken Irabor to task on the authenticity of his claim on Idris Ojo.

One Facebook user, George Onmonya Daniel posted the picture of Idris Ojo with a poswr: “is this the Idris Ojo being reported by the Chief of Army Staff (SIC) to be involved in the massacre in Owo Catholic Church?

“This Idris Ojo’s name appeared on the first list of prison escapees when Kuje prison was attacked.

“If he is hhe same person, then something is terrible wrong here because the church attack happened before Kuje Prison attack.

“That means that when the church was attacked, Idris Ojo was locked up in Kuje Prison.

“The Nigeria government need (sic) to clarify.”

An online news medium, The News Guru (TNG), in a fact-checker asked how true the CDS’ claims were in a report on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

TNG in the report recalled that at least 40 people were killed and many injured when gunmen opened fire on worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State on June 5, 2022.

According to TNG: “This is exactly one month before the Kuje prison attack on July 5, 2022, where an initial 879 inmates escaped from the facility before 443 were recaptured, according to government officials.

“It is therefore not clear how one of the named Owo church attack suspects, Idris Ojo, who had been committed to prison custody since 2016, got involved in the attack.

“According to records from the Nigerian Correctional Service, Ojo with Case No. CR/120/15 and prison ID no. 481/16 who was sent to the Kuje prison for offences bothering (sic) on terrorism and kidnapping, was among inmates who had escaped from the facility on July 5.

“A prisons staff (member) confirmed to this newspaper that the last numbers of an in mate’s identity number indicates the year he/she was brought into the facility.

“Also, inmates wearing green outfits in their mugshots are awaiting trial, while those in blue are criminals who have been convicted.

“Further investigations by TNG revealed (showed) that the suspect was born on January 1, 1987, making him 35 years old currently, whereas, the Defense Chief gave his age as 32 years.

“Verdict: The claim by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff that a Kuje prison escapee took part in the attack on worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo on June 5, is, therefore, not clear, misleading as it contradicts the sequence of events. General Irabor might have more clarification to do on the matter.”