FIVE MEN charged with carrying out
a deadly terrorist attack on a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria in 2022
were remanded in custody on Tuesday until a court ruling on September 10 on
their application for bail.
The suspects, who pleaded not guilty
when arraigned last week, appeared in court at the start of their trial on
Tuesday, seeking bail three years after their arrest.
The massacre at St. Francis Catholic
Church in the town of Owo that killed at least 50 worshippers and wounded over
100 others shocked the nation.
Abdullahi Muhammad, their lawyer,
expressed concern over their prolonged detention, and asked for the court to
release the suspects on bail.
Alleged threats to witnesses
Prosecutor Ayodele Adedipe opposed
the bail, citing national security risks and alleged links to foreign terrorist
groups.
He added that discrepancies in the
bail application and alleged threats to witnesses were further grounds for
denial.
They were remanded in Department of State Services custody, where they have been held since their arrests, until a judge decides on their application next month.
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