Two survivors of the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, recounted harrowing moments in court on Tuesday as the trial of five alleged Al-Shabaab members continues before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

A female survivor, identified only as SSC, described how a dynamite planted by one of the assailants destroyed her left leg. Testifying behind a protective shield, she said the attack left worshippers confused and terrified.

“I was in shock until someone helped me to the altar. One of the gunmen dropped a dynamite beside my head. While moving, my left leg remained on it, and it exploded,” she told the court, showing her injured leg to the judge. SSC also recounted the death of her two-year-old cousin and how her mother initially failed to recognize her due to the injuries. She has undergone four surgeries and continues to receive treatment.

Earlier, SSB, an elderly male survivor, recounted jumping through a church window to escape. He described the gunmen firing indiscriminately, detonating at least four explosives, and causing chaos and destruction. He identified some of the defendants as the attackers and described seeing more than 40 bodies at the scene, with hospitals overwhelmed by the wounded.

Both witnesses confirmed they gave statements to the Department of State Services (DSS) in May 2024, which were admitted as evidence in court. The testimonies aim to establish the identities of the perpetrators and the sequence of events during the attack.

The trial continues as the prosecution prepares to call additional witnesses to detail the planning and execution of the massacre, one of Nigeria’s deadliest terrorist attacks on a place of worship.