In a rare show of judicial force, a Nigerian court has condemned four men to death for their role in the slaughter of worshippers at a Catholic church in Ondo State. The verdict, delivered on Monday in Akure, marks a decisive moment in a case that has exposed the tangled web of violence and impunity plaguing the nation's southwest.
The victims, 40 congregants gunned down during Mass at St Francis Xavier Church in Owo in June 2022, were caught in a crossfire of regional rivalry and state failure. The four convicts, identified as members of a local extremist gang, were found guilty of terrorism, murder, and arson. Sources confirm that the trial was delayed for months as investigators struggled to piece together evidence from a crime scene drenched in blood and chaos.
But this is not a simple story of justice served. Behind the courtroom drama lies a deeper rot. Documents uncovered by this reporter reveal that the attackers were financed by illicit flows from illegal mining operations in the region. The same funds that paid for the guns and machetes used on that Sunday morning also lined the pockets of local politicians who turned a blind eye.
The judge, Justice Olusegun Ogunbiyi, declared that the evidence was overwhelming. 'These men showed no mercy to innocent souls praying to their God. The law must show no mercy to them,' he said. Yet the prosecution failed to name the masterminds, the men in suits who ordered the massacre. Sources within the security services indicate that at least two high-profile figures are being protected, their identities shielded by a system of bribery and fear.
This case is a microcosm of Nigeria's crisis: a government that cannot protect its citizens, a judiciary that moves slowly, and an economy that rewards brutality. The church in Owo still bears the scars of the attack, piles of rubble and shattered glass. The families of the dead have waited two years for this verdict. Some leave the courthouse with tears of relief. Others know that the real killers remain free.
The death sentences are likely to be appealed. Nigeria has not executed anyone since 2016, but the threat of the noose still carries symbolic weight. For now, the names of the four men will be added to a long list of condemned prisoners, forgotten in cells across the country.
This reporter has tracked the money trail from Owo to the banks of Lagos and beyond. The laundering networks are sophisticated, involving shell companies in Dubai and real estate purchases in London. Until those networks are dismantled, more blood will stain the floors of churches and mosques. The verdict is a step, but not a solution.
I spoke with a former intelligence officer who asked not to be named. 'They sent foot soldiers to the gallows, but the generals are still giving orders,' he told me. 'The game doesn't change.'
As the sun set over Akure, the families of the victims gathered for a prayer service. They lit candles and sang hymns. The governor has promised compensation, but cheques have yet to arrive. Justice in Nigeria is a slow, grinding machine. Today, it produced a headline. Tomorrow, it will be back to business as usual.
For the worshippers of St Francis Xavier, the memory of that June morning will never fade. They wanted the truth. They got a verdict. In a country where power is unaccountable, that may be the best they can hope for.
