The constitution at gunpoint: Tinubu, Aiyedatiwa, Ogbomoso and the Owo verdict

A Nigerian court has sentenced four men to death for their involvement in the St. Francis Catholic Church massacre in Owo, which claimed 41 lives on June 5, 2022. The Federal High Court in Abuja delivered the verdict on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, marking a significant, albeit somber, victory for the rule of law in a nation grappling with pervasive insecurity.

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The South-West is no longer merely confronting banditry; it has become a theatre of operations for global terror franchises.

Following the judgment, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), lead counsel for the Department of State Services (DSS), revealed that investigations confirmed the convicted men were foot soldiers for Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of international terror networks. This revelation underscores a disturbing escalation, suggesting that the South-West region of Nigeria is now a battleground for global terror franchises, extending beyond localized banditry.

The Owo massacre left an indelible scar, with families like the Umunnakwe family being completely wiped out and survivors like Father Andrew Abayomi still dealing with the trauma. The court's decision offers a measure of justice, though the state faces a moral and constitutional obligation to address the broader crisis that has plagued Nigeria since 2009, evolving from Boko Haram's insurgency to widespread banditry and terror.

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For these souls, justice is not an abstract legal construct; it is an outstanding debt the state is morally and constitutionally obliged to discharge.

Adding to the nation's distress, recent events in Ogbomoso highlight a new dimension of terror: the weaponization of information. Viral reports of the release of 46 kidnapped students and teachers were quickly debunked by authorities, creating a "whiplash" of false hope and despair. This informational fog, described as psychological warfare, serves to gaslight victims' families and expose the government's struggle to control narratives, even as the victims remain captive.

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This informational fog is not an accident; it is a weapon. The ensuing confusion serves a dual purpose: it gaslights the families of the victims and exposes the government’s inability to control even the narrative within its own territory.