Four years after, DSS nabs ISWAP commander involved in Owo church massacre
DSS Arrests Sixth Suspect in 2022 Owo Church Attack
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended a sixth suspect in connection with the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, in which more than 40 worshippers were killed and numerous others injured.
The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, was arrested in the Iguosa community within the Ovia North East local government area of Edo State. His capture comes nearly four years after the tragic incident.
Security sources indicate that Yusuf, who is considered a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), had been on the DSS’s watchlist since the church attack. He was located and arrested discreetly in the community, where he was allegedly using a false identity.
Investigators revealed that after the church assault, Yusuf fled to Kano State before eventually relocating to a secluded area in Edo State.
A security official stated that Yusuf had confessed to participating in the planning and execution of the church attack, as well as other incidents, including a checkpoint assault that resulted in the deaths of five soldiers and several kidnapping operations.
Intelligence officers have also linked him to violent events such as the July 2022 attack on a military facility in Suleja and multiple kidnappings throughout Kaduna State.
Authorities have characterized the arrest as a significant advancement in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and a step toward seeking justice for victims of extremist violence.
