A survivor of the horrific terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, gave a heart-wrenching testimony before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, detailing the permanent physical devastation she suffered and her subsequent abandonment by the state government.
A Life Shattered in an Instant
The witness, who was given the code name SSD for her protection, broke down while recounting the events of June 5, 2022. She told Justice Emeka Nwite that attackers hurled an explosive device into the church's choir gallery, where she and others had fled for safety during the assault.
The explosion shattered both her legs, leading to amputations above the knees, and permanently destroyed her left eye, leaving her completely blind. A trained nurse and housewife, SSD explained that her life was irreversibly altered. She is now permanently confined to a wheelchair and has lost her source of livelihood due to the severity of her injuries.
"The explosion destroyed human lives instantly. That was how I lost my two legs and my eye," she stated clearly in court. She spent five grueling months in the hospital recovering.
Broken Promises and Government Neglect
The prosecution later called its fifth witness, coded SSE, who is the husband of the injured woman and a civil servant. His testimony painted a stark picture of governmental failure.
SSE corroborated his wife's account, stating the attack left 41 worshippers dead and injured about 100 others. He revealed the painful personal decision he had to make, signing the consent form for his wife's leg amputations.
He further told the court that while the Ondo State Government initially promised to provide artificial limbs, the arrangement collapsed. "The vendor could not provide useful artificial legs until the tenure of that government elapsed," he testified.
Efforts to seek help from the current administration have hit a wall. "The current Ondo State government is not doing anything about her again. Several times, I called the state Commissioner for Health, but they are not doing anything about it," SSE lamented before the judge.
The Ongoing Terrorism Trial
The testimonies were part of the ongoing trial of five men accused of masterminding the deadly assault. The defendants are:
- Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25)
- Al Qasim Idris (20)
- Jamiu Abdulmalik (26)
- Abdulhaleem Idris (25)
- Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47)
All five had pleaded not guilty to the nine-count terrorism charge during their arraignment last year.
Justice Nwite admitted the statements of both witnesses as exhibits and adjourned the case to February 10 and 11, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
