DSS Arrests Sixth Suspect In Owo Church Attack, Linked To ISWAP Operations
Nearly four years after the horrific attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo that plunged the nation into grief, the Department of State Services (DSS) has apprehended the alleged sixth member of the terror cell responsible for the massacre.
The suspect, Sani Yusuf, was arrested in Edo State following years of intelligence-led tracking and surveillance by security operatives. Sources described him as a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) who had successfully avoided capture since the June 2022 attack, moving across states before settling in a rural community.
His arrest came as part of ongoing covert operations targeting the network behind the church attack, which shocked Nigeria and drew international condemnation.
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 their alleged involvement in the massacre.
According to security sources, Yusuf initially fled to Kano after the Owo attack before relocating to Edo State. Investigators say he has admitted to participating in planning and executing the church massacre.
Yusuf also reportedly confessed to other ISWAP operations, including the July 2022 Suleja military barracks attack, the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault that left five soldiers dead, and multiple kidnappings in Kaduna State and surrounding areas.
“He admitted his role in the Owo church attack, the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault, and several ISWAP kidnappings,” a source said.
Another source added that Yusuf had served under top ISWAP commanders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.
Officials described Yusuf’s arrest as a major breakthrough in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the Owo church massacre and soldiers killed at Zuma Rock, underscoring the DSS’s continued fight against terrorism in Nigeria.
