DSS Arrests Sixth Suspect in Owo Church Attack; ISWAP Leader Confesses to Various Terror Acts

Operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) have captured the sixth individual implicated in the 2022 assault on St. Francis Catholic Church located in Owo, Ondo State, an incident that claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers and left many others wounded.

Currently, the DSS is prosecuting five suspects: Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), who are facing charges related to the terrorist attack.

The sixth suspect managed to evade law enforcement for almost four years, becoming one of Nigeria's most wanted fugitives. Security officials revealed that the DSS operatives successfully arrested him in the Iguosa community near Powerline in Ovia North Local Government Area, Edo State.

The detainee, identified as Sani Yusuf, serves as a high-profile commander for the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Following the attack on the church, Yusuf fled to Kano before eventually relocating to a village in Edo to avoid capture.

Reports indicate that Yusuf has confessed to orchestrating and executing the Owo church attack and has involvement in other ISWAP actions, including the military barracks attack in Suleja in July 2022, kidnappings in Kaduna State, and assaults on military personnel.

Sources confirm, "He admitted to his role in the Owo church incident, the attack on the Zuma Rock checkpoint that resulted in the deaths of five soldiers, as well as various ISWAP kidnapping schemes."

Furthermore, Yusuf stated that he had worked under other prominent ISWAP commanders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was apprehended by the DSS in 2024.

This arrest is seen as a crucial step towards achieving justice for the victims of the Owo church attack and the soldiers who lost their lives at Zuma Rock. It underscores the DSS's unwavering commitment to combating terrorism in the region.