Owo Church Attack: 8th DSS Witness Corroborates 7th’s Testimony Identifying 2nd Defendant Al Quasim As Part of Bloodbath

By: Our Reporter

An eight witness of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the ongoing trial of suspected attackers of the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, in 2022, on Wednesday corroborated the Tuesday testimony of a 7th witness who identified one of the suspects as being part of those who carried out the attack.

Like the 7th DSS witness did on Tuesday, the 8th also identified the 2nd defendant, Al Quasim Idris, as being part of those who allegedly killed the worshippers.

The witness, an Amotekun operative, told a Federal High Court in Abuja that he was one of the officers who arrived in the church premises shortly after the attack. He identified Al Quasim Idris as one of those who, shortly after the attack, exchanged gunfire at close range with him in a nearby bush.

The DSS is prosecuting Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25 years), Al Qasim Idris (20 years), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26 years), Abdulhaleem Idris (25 years) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47 years) over the June 5, 2022 attack on the church.

Earlier on Tuesday, another Amotekun officer, who is listed as the seventh witness of the DSS, in open court, identified Al Quasim Idris as one of those with whom he came face-to-face during a gunfight that ensued.

Led in evidence by the prosecuting lawyer, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), SSH, who is the eight prosecution witness (PW8), on Wednesday, gave details of how they trailed and tried to apprehend the attackers, resulting in the exchange of gunfire with Al Quasim Idris.

SSH said: “On June 5, 2022 as an operative of Amotekun, we received a distress call from the anti-kidnapping squad. We were on an anti-kidnapping mission when we received another call that there was an attack at the St. Francis Church, Owo.

“So, we were asked to withdraw and head to St Francis Church. On getting to the church, we met a crowd and managed to enter the premises.

“When we entered the church premises, we saw several dead bodies on the floor, both inside and around the church, including some injured people, including women and children,” he said.

The witness added: “We later came outside the church and learnt that the attackers were four in number and that they were the ones who zoomed off in a blue Nissan car as we were arriving.

“We got into our vehicle and started to trail them towards Ute Road, because that was the information we got. We were able to get close to them because our vehicle was better than the one they were in.”

SSH said at a point, “the attackers abruptly parked their car and ran into the bush. One of our men and a volunteer hunter went after them while the rest of us waited strategically.”

The witness said that it was during an intense gun battle with the attackers in the bush that he sighted Al Quasim Idris. He, however, added that the assailants succeeded in killing the volunteer hunter.

“We were able to get back to the bush to retrieve the body of the hunter,” the witness stated.

The Amotekun officer stated that they later took the Nissan car to their office before it was later moved to their state headquarters.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammad, the witness said he could not remember how many of them brought out the hunter’s corpse from the bush.

On whether they made efforts to identify the actual owner of the Nissan car, the witness said: “Before we moved the vehicle to the state headquarters at Akure, the owner came to our office to identify himself as the owner of the vehicle.”

When asked if they interviewed the owner of the vehicle, the witness said that was done in their office, but that he was not part of those who interviewed the owner of the car..

At the conclusion of the cross-examination, Adedipe prayed the court to grant a three consecutive day adjournment to enable the prosecution call its last set of witnesses and close its case.

The defence lawyer did not oppose, following which Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned till March 24, 25 and 26 for continuation of trial.

Owo Church Attack: 8th DSS Witness Corroborates 7th’s Testimony Identifying 2nd Defendant Al Quasim As Part of Bloodbath

Bayelsa Deepens Angola Partnership, Moves to Activate MoU with Namibe Province

By: Michael Mike

Bayelsa State has stepped up efforts to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties with Angola, as it moves to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Namibe Province during the renewed Nigeria–Angola Bilateral Commission.

The partnership, which began with an exploratory visit to the Angolan coastal province of Namibe, has now entered an implementation phase, with both sides expressing commitment to translating agreements into tangible economic outcomes.

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Duoye Diri, while receiving a delegation from Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço led by the Minister of State and Chief of the Civil House of the President of the Republic of Angola, Dionísio Manuel da Fonseca at Bayelsa House in Abuja on Wednesday, said the relationship between Bayelsa and Namibe was built on shared economic characteristics and strategic interests. The delegation included senior Angolan government officials and investment representatives.

He explained that the first visit to Namibe was exploratory, aimed at identifying areas of mutual interest. Namibe, like Bayelsa, is a coastal region with strong potential in aquaculture, fisheries, marine services and other blue economy sectors.

“Namibe is a coastal province like Bayelsa. We have a lot in common in terms of marine resources, fisheries and natural endowments. That informed our decision to foster closer cooperation,” the governor said.

The second engagement coincided with the Nigeria–Angola Bilateral Commission meeting — the first in over two decades, the last having been held in 2005. The high-level meeting was attended by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, federal government officials and representatives of subnational governments, including Nasarawa State.

It was during that session that Bayelsa State formally signed an MoU with Namibe Province, focusing broadly on economic development in sectors where both sides have comparative advantages. Nasarawa State also signed a separate agreement with another Angolan province.

The governor noted that although Nigeria and Angola have signed nearly 30 agreements over the years, many were not fully implemented. He described the renewed bilateral engagement as a deliberate effort to reverse that trend.

“What makes this engagement different is the emphasis on implementation. Many agreements were signed in the past but were not executed. This visit is a continuation of that renewed commitment to ensure that what we have signed does not remain on paper,” he stated.

Diri, while commending the Angolan Ambassador to Nigeria, Jose Bamoquina Zau, who was part of the visiting team for working diligently to sustain relations between both countries, acknowledged the role of Nigeria’s leadership in facilitating the revival of the bilateral commission.

The governor also disclosed that a planned reciprocal visit by the Governor of Namibe Province had been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, including the sudden loss of his deputy governor last year. He, however, expressed optimism that the visit would take place soon.

“We look forward to hosting the Namibe governor in Bayelsa so that we can further consolidate this partnership. Stronger ties between our states and provinces will ultimately strengthen relations between Nigeria and Angola,” he said.

Observers say the Bayelsa–Namibe cooperation reflects a growing trend of subnational diplomacy aimed at boosting intra-African trade, attracting investment and unlocking the economic potential of the continent’s coastal and resource-rich regions.

With both sides signaling readiness to move beyond ceremonial agreements, the partnership is expected to focus on practical collaboration in fisheries development, aquaculture expansion, marine infrastructure and broader economic exchange — positioning Bayelsa and Namibe as strategic gateways for enhanced South–South cooperation.

Bayelsa Deepens Angola Partnership, Moves to Activate MoU with Namibe Province

NAPTIP Uncovers Cybercrime-Trafficking Ring in Southeast Asia, Rescues 23 Nigerian Youths

By: Michael Mike

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has exposed an emerging human trafficking route funneling Nigerian youths to Southeast Asia for forced involvement in cybercrime, rescuing and repatriating 23 victims from Thailand.

The victims, mostly young and tech-savvy Nigerians, were allegedly deceived with promises of scholarships and high-paying jobs abroad before being trafficked to countries including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Instead of legitimate employment, they were reportedly compelled to participate in sophisticated online fraud schemes targeting victims across several continents.

Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, described the development as a troubling shift in trafficking patterns, warning that criminal networks are now deliberately targeting educated and skilled youths.

“This is a disturbing evolution in the trafficking landscape,” Bello said. “The perpetrators are no longer focusing only on vulnerable, unskilled individuals. They now recruit intelligent young people with computer and IT skills, especially those with clean health backgrounds, under the guise of scholarships and professional opportunities.”

According to the agency, upon arrival in their destination countries, the victims were trained in cyber-enabled crimes such as romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud and fake investment schemes. Some were enrolled in language programmes, particularly in Chinese, and later deployed as translators or customer service agents to engage and deceive foreign targets.

The rescued youths reportedly revealed that they were housed in tightly controlled facilities and monitored by armed guards. They were assigned daily fraud targets and subjected to threats, intimidation and physical abuse if they failed to comply.

In some instances, victims alleged that those who resisted were tortured, while others claimed there were threats of organ harvesting, particularly against younger recruits perceived to be in good health.

NAPTIP said the rescue operation was carried out in collaboration with civil society organisation Eden (Myanmar), with significant support from the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, which facilitated emergency travel documentation for the victims.

The agency noted that the latest operation aligns with its renewed crackdown on organised trafficking networks. Bello reiterated NAPTIP’s commitment to dismantling the syndicates behind the scheme and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

“We are strengthening our international partnerships and intelligence-sharing mechanisms to ensure these criminal networks are identified, disrupted and prosecuted,” she said.

Authorities said the 23 rescued Nigerians have arrived safely in the country and are currently undergoing profiling, counselling and rehabilitation as investigations continue.

The agency also urged parents, guardians and young professionals to be wary of overseas job offers that appear too good to be true, particularly those requiring travel to unfamiliar destinations without verifiable documentation.

The revelation underscores growing concerns about the convergence of human trafficking and transnational cybercrime, as criminal groups increasingly exploit digital skills to expand their illicit operations across borders.

NAPTIP Uncovers Cybercrime-Trafficking Ring in Southeast Asia, Rescues 23 Nigerian Youths