DSS arrests suspected ISWAP Commander linked to Owo Church massacre

Nearly four years after the deadly attack on St Francis Catholic Church that plunged the country into mourning, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested a suspected member of the terror cell allegedly responsible for the massacre.

The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, was reportedly apprehended in Edo State following years of intelligence gathering and surveillance by security agencies.

Security sources described Yusuf as a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) who had evaded arrest since the June 2022 attack. He was said to have moved across several states before settling in a remote community in Edo State, where he allegedly lived unnoticed.

Sources disclosed that his arrest followed sustained covert operations aimed at dismantling the network behind the church attack, which drew nationwide outrage and international condemnation.

The DSS is currently prosecuting five suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — in connection with the terrorist attack.

Investigators said Yusuf initially fled to Kano State after the Owo incident before relocating to Edo State in an effort to avoid arrest.

Security sources further revealed that the suspect allegedly confessed to participating in the planning and execution of the Owo church attack.

He was also said to have admitted involvement in other terrorist operations attributed to ISWAP, including the July 2022 attack on the Suleja military barracks and several kidnapping operations in Kaduna State and surrounding areas.

According to a source, Yusuf allegedly confessed to taking part in the attack on a security checkpoint near Zuma Rock which reportedly resulted in the death of five soldiers.

Another security source disclosed that Yusuf had operated under senior ISWAP commanders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.

Security officials described the arrest as a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to bring those responsible for the Owo church attack and other terrorist activities to justice.