One of the five suspects currently ongoing trial over the Owo church attack, Jamiu Abdulmalik, has claimed that he was tortured in custody by the Department of State Services (DSS) to force a confession to a crime he did not commit.
Abdulmalik testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday in the ongoing trial of suspects charged by the Federal Government of perpetrating the terrorist attack.
He is standing trial alongside Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
The suspects were arrested in connection with the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state, which left 41 worshippers dead and more than 140 others injured.
Abdulmalik, a plumber and farmer, told the court that he was arrested in August 2022 while travelling from Ondo to Kogi state.
He said armed operatives dressed in black and wearing masks stopped the car conveying him and other passengers to search them.
Abdulmalik said the armed operatives took his phone, dialled a number on it, and mentioned his full name.
“They asked for my name and phone, and I gave it to them,” he said.
“They pressed something on it and mentioned my full name, which I used for my NIN. They said I should come outside and that I am under arrest. They handcuffed me and tied my face.”
The suspect further told the court he was taken to the DSS command in Lokoja, Kogi state capital, where he was allegedly subjected to inhumane treatment.
Abdulmalik added that he was tied up somewhere at the DSS facility and was only untied after urinating on himself.
He also alleged that operatives poured water on his face and pressured him to admit involvement in the Owo church attack.
“When we got there, I was left in the vehicle for some time before they brought me down. They carried me straight to where they hung me,” he alleged.
“They didn’t bring me down until I started urinating on my body. After that, they left me for a while and later took me to the cell.
“While I was there, they were punching me and pouring water on my face. They said they were pushing me because I was lying.
“One officer later came and asked them to stop and said they should bring me down and confront me with evidence instead of making me shout.”
The defendant said he denied any wrongdoing during the questioning, adding that the operatives tried to link him with terrorists’ activities in his community.
He added that the DSS operatives claimed that a local school was being used for such purposes.
“One of them told me he had gathered all the information about me and asked me to say why I was arrested,” he said.
“I told him I didn’t know and that I didn’t have any problem with anybody. He asked if I wanted to say it by force or gently, and I said I cannot say what I do not know.
“They brought out a phone and showed me a school building and asked if I knew it. I said, ‘Yes, it is a school in our village.’
“They said I was a student of one of the defendants and that we were being trained to terrorise the community. I told them I am not a student there but a plumber who farms in Ondo.
“They brought a paper with many names written on it and said these were the people terrorising the community and that they were asked to arrest us.
Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, adjourned the case to April 1 and 2 for continuation of the hearing.
