A Department of State Services (DSS) operative has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that digital forensic analysis of phone data enabled investigators to track and arrest suspects linked to the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
The operative, identified as SSK, testified on Thursday, February 19, before Justice Emeka Nwite. He said investigators deployed call geospatial network filtering, cell tower triangulation and international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) analysis to trace the movements of the first defendant, Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza.
Led in evidence by Ayodeji Adedipe, counsel to the DSS, the witness explained that thousands of phone numbers connected to cell towers in Owaluwa, Elegbeka, and Ifon before and after the attack were analysed.
According to him, the process narrowed the data to a phone number belonging to Omeiza, with the system revealing a unique IMEI linked to the device.
“The IMEI is a unique digital fingerprint assigned to every mobile phone, and no two devices share the same number,” the witness said, adding that the identification enabled security operatives to locate and arrest the first defendant.
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He told the court that Omeiza’s arrest and subsequent confession led to the apprehension of other suspects.
Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar are standing trial on terrorism-related charges arising from the attack.
The witness further testified that analysis of call data records showed bi-directional communication between Omeiza and two other defendants, namely Jamiu and Al Qasim, both before and after the incident.
He said the three exchanged multiple communications between March 1 and July 30, 2022, a period of about six months.
Phone Data Placed Defendant Near Scene
Summarising the findings, the DSS operative said Omeiza’s phone was active within a 35-kilometre radius of the church at about 7:23 a.m. on the day of the attack.
He noted that although the defendant applied a “no phone call” rule, his device remained active and later showed movement towards Ifon shortly after the incident.
Describing the phone as a “silent witness,” the investigator said its movement from one cell tower to another provided insight into the suspect’s movements before and on the day of the attack.
He added that several calls made by three of the defendants before and after the incident indicated that they knew one another and that their arrests were not coincidental.
The witness also said a black Tecno phone recovered from Omeiza matched the IMEI reflected in the call data records. The court admitted both the digital forensic report and the mobile phone in evidence without objection from the defence.
Under cross-examination, the witness said it took more than a month to locate and arrest the first defendant, who was apprehended in Eika, Kogi State.
He added that the other suspects were arrested in August 2022 at different locations across Kogi and Ondo states.
After the 11th prosecution witness concluded his testimony, counsel to the DSS announced the closure of the prosecution’s case.
Abdullahi Muhammad, counsel to the defendants, told the court that he intended to call only the accused persons as witnesses. He also requested access to the fifth defendant’s statement and to his clients, who are in DSS custody, to prepare their defence.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to March 4 and 5 for the defence to open its case.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
