Nigeria, Feb. 19 -- The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday admitted the confessional statements of four defendants standing trial over the 5 June 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.

Judge Emeka Nwite admitted the defendants' statements after an SSS investigator, identified as SSJ, told the court he interviewed the defendants and recorded their statements in connection with the attack. The witness, the 10th to be presented by the prosecution, was identified by the codename as a witness protection measure.

The defendants' lawyer had objected to the admissibility of the statements immediately the prosecution sought to tender them in evidence.

Mr Nwite rejected the defence request for a trial-within-tr...