Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the sixth suspect linked to the 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State, where over 40 worshippers were killed and many others injured in one of Nigeria’s most shocking church massacres.
The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, was apprehended in Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, following years of intelligence tracking and surveillance by security operatives.
Security sources disclosed that Yusuf, believed to be a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), had managed to evade arrest for nearly four years, making him one of the most wanted fugitives in connection with the Owo attack. After the incident, he reportedly fled to Kano before relocating quietly to the rural Edo community where he allegedly lived under the radar.
According to the source, Yusuf has confessed to his involvement in the planning and execution of the deadly Owo church massacre, which drew national and international condemnation at the time. The arrest is seen as a major breakthrough in the long-running investigation into the attack.
The DSS is currently prosecuting five other suspects — Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) — for alleged terrorism-related offences connected to the incident.
Further intelligence revelations indicate that Yusuf also admitted to participating in several other terrorist operations attributed to ISWAP, including the July 2022 attack on the Suleja military barracks and multiple kidnapping operations in Kaduna State and surrounding areas.
Security insiders also revealed that the suspect confessed to involvement in the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault which resulted in the deaths of five soldiers, as well as several coordinated kidnap missions carried out by the terror group.
In his confession, Yusuf reportedly disclosed that he operated under the command of senior ISWAP figures, including Abu Ikirimah, a top commander earlier arrested by the DSS in 2024.
Authorities described the arrest as a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for victims of the Owo church attack and other terror-related incidents across the country. The development, they noted, underscores the sustained intelligence-led campaign by Nigerian security agencies against terrorism and violent extremism.
Security analysts say the breakthrough could strengthen ongoing prosecutions and provide deeper insights into the operational network behind some of the deadliest attacks linked to ISWAP in recent years.
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