DSS Arrests Alleged ISWAP Commander Linked to Owo Church Attack
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended another suspect connected to the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, where more than 40 worshippers were killed and many others injured.
The newly arrested suspect is believed to be the sixth person linked to the deadly assault. Five others — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — are currently facing prosecution over alleged terrorism-related offences stemming from the incident.
Security sources revealed that the latest suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, had been on the run for nearly four years and was considered one of the country’s most wanted fugitives. He was reportedly tracked and arrested in the Iguosa community along the Powerline axis of Ovia North Local Government Area in Edo State after years of surveillance.
Investigators allege that Yusuf is a senior figure within the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Following the Owo attack, he is said to have initially taken refuge in Kano before relocating to Edo State, where he allegedly remained in hiding.
According to security officials, the suspect has made statements implicating himself in the planning and execution of the Owo church attack. He is also alleged to have confessed to involvement in other violent incidents attributed to ISWAP, including the July 2022 attack on a military facility in Suleja and multiple kidnapping operations in Kaduna State and surrounding areas.
Sources further claimed that Yusuf disclosed he operated under senior ISWAP commanders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested in 2024.
Authorities described the arrest as a major development in ongoing efforts to bring those responsible for the Owo church massacre and other attacks to justice, reaffirming the agency’s continued operations against terrorist networks.
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