Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the sixth suspect linked to the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which claimed over 40 lives and left many others injured.
The DSS is already prosecuting five individuals – Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) – for their alleged involvement in the terrorist attack.
The newly arrested suspect, Sani Yusuf, had evaded capture for nearly four years, making him one of Nigeria’s most wanted fugitives. According to security sources, Yusuf was apprehended in the Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State.
Yusuf, a high-ranking commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), initially fled to Kano after the Owo attack before relocating to the Edo village. The sources revealed that he has confessed to his role in planning and executing the church massacre.
In addition to the Owo attack, Yusuf admitted involvement in other terrorist operations, including the July 2022 Suleja military barracks assault, kidnappings in Kaduna State, and the Zuma Rock checkpoint attack that claimed the lives of five soldiers.
“He also confirmed serving under ISWAP commanders such as Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by DSS in 2024,” one source added.
Authorities described the arrest as a critical step toward justice for the victims of the Owo church attack and other terrorist incidents, highlighting the DSS’s ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in Nigeria.
Sani Yusuf