Residents of Otite community near Okene in Kogi State have applauded the Department of State Services (DSS) following renewed progress in the long-delayed trial over the 2012 Deeper Life Bible Church massacre, describing the recent developments as a major boost to their confidence in the justice system.
Accounting to a letter to the DSS, members of the affected community expressed renewed confidence in the justice process after Obadaki was arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, shortly after his re-capture. The development is being widely viewed as a significant breakthrough in a case that has stalled for more than a decade.
The August 7, 2012 attack left at least 19 worshippers dead and several others injured when gunmen invaded a Bible study session at the church. Obadaki was later linked to other violent crimes, including deadly bank robberies. His escape during the Kuje prison break in 2022 deepened the trauma of victims’ families and raised concerns that justice might never be served.
Those concerns began to subside in November 2025 with his re-arrest and arraignment on six terrorism-related charges. Although he pleaded guilty only to escaping lawful custody, the court ordered his continued detention and adjourned the case to January 26, 2026. As proceedings resume, residents of Otite say they remain cautiously optimistic that justice, long delayed, may finally be achieved.
