Renewed optimism has emerged in Otite, near Okene in Kogi State, following fresh progress in the long-delayed trial connected to the 2012 massacre at the Deeper Life Bible Church. Families of victims, survivors and residents have praised the Department of State Services (DSS) for the re-arrest and prompt prosecution of Abdulmalik Abdulazeez Obadaki, the alleged Ansaru terror leader accused of masterminding the attack.

In a formal letter to the DSS, members of the affected community expressed restored confidence in the justice system after Obadaki was brought before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Abuja shortly after his recapture. The swift arraignment is being viewed as a major breakthrough in a case that has remained unresolved for over 13 years, rekindling faith among those directly scarred by the tragedy.

The August 7, 2012 assault resulted in the deaths of no fewer than 19 worshippers and left several others injured when armed assailants stormed a Bible study gathering at the church. Obadaki was later linked to additional violent crimes, including fatal bank attacks. His escape during the Kuje correctional facility jailbreak in 2022 further deepened the pain of victims’ families and raised fears that justice had slipped away permanently.

Those concerns began to ease in November 2025 when security operatives re-arrested Obadaki and filed six terrorism-related charges against him. Although he entered a guilty plea only on the charge of escaping from lawful custody, the court ordered his continued detention and adjourned the matter to January 26, 2026.

As legal proceedings continue, residents of Otite say they remain cautiously hopeful that accountability, long awaited, may finally be achieved.

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