One of the suspects standing trial over the 2022 Owo church attack, Jamiu Abdulmalik, has alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services tortured him in custody to force a confession to a crime he said he did not commit.
Abdulmalik made the claim on Thursday while testifying before the Federal High Court in Abuja during the ongoing trial of five suspects charged by the Federal Government over the attack.
This online medium understands that Abdulmalik is standing trial alongside Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
The defendants 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.
While giving his testimony, Abdulmalik, who described himself as a plumber and farmer, told the court that he was arrested in August 2022 while travelling from Ondo State to Kogi State.
According to him, armed operatives dressed in black and wearing masks stopped the vehicle conveying him and other passengers.
He said, “They asked for my name and phone, and I gave it to them.
“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.”
Abdulmalik further alleged that he was taken to the DSS command in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, where he was subjected to inhumane treatment.
He told the court that he was hung at the facility and left tied up until he urinated on himself.
He further stated, “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.
“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.”
He also claimed that DSS operatives assaulted him and poured water on his face during interrogation.
“While I was there, they were punching me and pouring water on my face. They said they were pushing me because I was lying,” he said.
The defendant told the court that the operatives repeatedly pressured him to admit involvement in the attack.
He said they attempted to link him with terrorist activities in his community.
“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,” he added.
Abdulmalik said he denied any wrongdoing during the questioning.
“They asked if I wanted to say it by force or gently, and I said I cannot say what I do not know,” he told the court.
He added that the operatives showed him a photograph of a school building in his village and claimed it was being used to train individuals for terrorist activities.
“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,” he said.
Following the testimony, the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, adjourned the case to April 1 and 2 for continuation of the hearing.
