DSS Arrests Alleged ISWAP Commander Linked to Owo Church Attack After Four-Year Manhunt

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander linked to the 2022 Owo church attack, ending a nearly four-year manhunt.

Security sources identified the suspect as Sani Yusuf, who was apprehended in the Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North-East Local Government Area.

According to the source, Yusuf had fled to Kano shortly after the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, before relocating to Edo State in a bid to evade capture.

The DSS is already prosecuting five suspects — Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) — over alleged acts of terrorism connected to the incident.

Investigators said Yusuf has confessed to participating in the planning and execution of the Owo church attack. He also reportedly admitted involvement in other ISWAP operations, including the July 2022 assault on the Suleja military barracks and multiple kidnappings in Kaduna State.

Security sources further revealed that Yusuf acknowledged taking part in the Zuma Rock checkpoint attack in Suleja, which claimed the lives of five soldiers.

He is also said to have operated under senior ISWAP commanders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.

Officials described the arrest as a major breakthrough in ongoing counterterrorism operations and a significant step toward justice for victims of the attacks.

The Department of State Services has apprehended a suspected high-ranking ISWAP operative allegedly involved in the Owo church massacre and other terror attacks.

The suspect, Sani Yusuf, was arrested in Iguosa community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, after reportedly evading security forces for nearly four years.

Sources said Yusuf temporarily relocated to Kano following the Owo attack before settling in Edo State under the radar.

He has reportedly confessed to his role in the church attack and other operations, including the Suleja barracks assault and kidnappings across Kaduna State.

Authorities say he also admitted involvement in the deadly Zuma Rock checkpoint attack that killed five soldiers.

The DSS is currently prosecuting five other suspects over terrorism-related charges linked to the Owo incident.

Security officials described Yusuf’s arrest as a critical milestone in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to dismantling ISWAP networks nationwide.