DSS Arrests Sixth Suspect Linked to 2022 Owo Church Attack

DSS Arrests Sixth Suspect Linked to 2022 Owo Church Attack

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the sixth suspect linked to the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, an incident in which over 40 worshippers were killed and many others sustained injuries.

Security sources identified the suspect as Sani Yusuf, who had evaded arrest for nearly four years, making him one of the most wanted fugitives connected to the deadly church attack. The arrest followed years of intelligence gathering and surveillance by the DSS.

Yusuf was apprehended in Iguosa, a community along the Powerline axis in Ovia North-East Local Government Area. Security sources said the suspect had been living quietly in the area after fleeing other parts of the country to avoid detection.

According to intelligence sources, Yusuf is a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and played a key role in the planning and execution of the Owo church attack. After the assault, he reportedly fled to Kano State before relocating to Edo State, where he was eventually tracked and arrested.

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During preliminary interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to his role in the Owo church massacre. Security sources also disclosed that he admitted involvement in other major terror operations carried out by ISWAP across northern Nigeria.

Among the attacks linked to Yusuf are the July 2022 assault on the Suleja military barracks, the Zuma Rock checkpoint attack that claimed the lives of five soldiers, as well as several kidnapping operations in Kaduna State and surrounding areas. Investigators say his confession has provided valuable intelligence on wider ISWAP operational networks.

Further disclosures indicate that Yusuf operated under the command of senior ISWAP leaders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024. Intelligence obtained from Yusuf is expected to aid ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

Meanwhile, the DSS is currently prosecuting five suspects already in custody for terrorism-related offences connected to the Owo attack. They include Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47). The suspects are facing charges bordering on terrorism, conspiracy and mass casualty attacks.

Security analysts describe Yusuf’s arrest as a major breakthrough in the long-running investigation into the Owo church massacre and a significant boost to Nigeria’s counter-terrorism campaign. A security source said the development underscores the DSS’s resolve to ensure justice for victims and to dismantle terror networks, regardless of how long suspects remain at large.

The 2022 Owo church attack remains one of the deadliest terror incidents in southern Nigeria, drawing nationwide and international condemnation and intensifying calls for sustained intelligence-driven security operations across the country.

DSS Arrests Sixth Suspect Linked to 2022 Owo Church Attack