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Claim: A Facebook user, George Udom, claimed that no arrest has been made and nobody has been prosecuted since the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s findings reveal that security agencies arrested suspects linked to the attack, and prosecution has begun, although the trial has not been concluded.
Full Text
The United States (US) President Donald Trump recently said in a post that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and described Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”. He suggested that the US might reconsider foreign assistance to Nigeria if the government fails to protect Christian communities.
Reacting to this, the Federal Government rejected the genocide narrative, stating that US claims are based on incomplete or misleading data. The government reiterated that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of worship for all citizens.
Following these discussions, many older incidents have resurfaced on social media, sometimes reinterpreted through the genocide narrative. One such incident is the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
In revisiting the tragedy, Facebook user George Udom argued that the attack was part of a coordinated effort to eliminate Christians and that the Nigerian government failed to take legal action. He wrote: “They came to Owo, Ondo State, on a Sunday like this. They murdered my friends and their parents. More than 50 people died. Guess what? Nobody has been arrested and prosecuted. I wish I could join the US Army. I have a few scores to settle.”
Some comments under the post captured a range of reactions. Umoh Bassey said, “And yet the Muslims are saying there is no genocide against Nigerian Christians…!”
Richards Junior Amana countered, “They were arrested, though, at least five of them. And they are members of ISWAP.”
Don Onoja U. Samuel argued, “It was a state killing, that’s why no arrest was made and hence no prosecution,” while Brave Udofia asked, “Where is the governor of this state then?”
Fola Ramsey added, “George Udom, first time I agree with your submission. I guess we share common enemies, regardless of our political differences. Nigeria is our country, and we will do all we can to make it work. Long live Nigeria.”
The post, which had been shared 61 times as of Nov. 10, 2025, has generated over 400 comments.
DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim because the Owo attack was a horrific act of violence that deeply affected families, the Catholic community, and Nigerians at large. This incident, if mixed up with a broader, unproven claim of state-backed genocide, risks encouraging misinformation, deepening religious division, provoking retaliatory sentiments, and undermining ongoing legal processes.
Verification
Contrary to the social media user’s claim that “nobody has been arrested and prosecuted,” authorities have arrested and arraigned suspects in connection with the attack.
In August 2025, Nigerian authorities arraigned five men before a Federal High Court in Abuja on charges linked to the June 5, 2022, attack. The five, identified in a report as Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, pleaded not guilty and were remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The arraignment and charges were brought under Nigeria’s terrorism laws. Subsequent court activity included a bail hearing and further court scheduling: a bail decision was postponed to Sept. 10, 2025, after hearings in which prosecutors argued against bail on national security grounds. In November 2025, the DSS publicly confirmed it was prosecuting suspects connected to the Owo church attack as part of broader terrorism prosecutions.
Conclusion
The claim that no one has been arrested or prosecuted for the Owo church attack is false. Verified reports show that suspects linked to the attack were arrested by Nigerian security agencies and formally arraigned before a Federal High Court on terrorism charges. Because the trial has not been concluded, no convictions have been recorded while the legal process is ongoing. Therefore, suggesting that no action has been taken misrepresents the facts and risks fueling religious tension and misinformation.
