
Owo church massacre: four convicted leaders face death in Nigeria
A Nigerian court in Abuja sentenced four men to death for the 2022 Owo St Francis Catholic Church attack that killed 41 worshippers and injured more than 100, while also handing them 20 years for belonging to a terrorist group; a fifth defendant was acquitted. Death sentences require presidential assent in Nigeria, and there have been no executions in years. The accelerated trial (begun in 2025) featured witnesses including victims, and the defendants alleged torture; they plan to appeal.