DSS arrests sixth suspect in 2022 Owo Church massacre after four-year manhunt

Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested the sixth suspect linked to the 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The June 2022 attack on the church in Owo, Ondo State, left more than 40 worshippers dead and scores of others injured, drawing widespread condemnation from both local and international communities.

The DSS had earlier arraigned five suspects, Idris Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47, for alleged acts of terrorism connected to the massacre.

The sixth suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, had remained at large for nearly four years, becoming one of Nigeria’s most wanted fugitives.

Security sources disclosed that Yusuf was tracked and arrested in the Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State after years on the agency’s watchlist.

His arrest followed what officials described as sustained intelligence gathering and coordinated surveillance operations by DSS operatives.

According to a source familiar with the investigation, Yusuf is believed to be a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province.

After the Owo church attack, he reportedly fled to Kano State before relocating to the quiet Edo community where he was apprehended.

Yusuf allegedly confessed to playing a key role in the planning and execution of the Owo church massacre.

He is also said to have admitted involvement in other ISWAP-led operations, including the July 2022 attack on the Suleja military barracks and multiple kidnapping incidents in Kaduna State and neighbouring areas.

A security source further revealed that Yusuf acknowledged participating in the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault in Suleja, which claimed the lives of five soldiers, as well as coordinating several kidnapping operations attributed to ISWAP.

Investigators also said the suspect disclosed that he had served under senior ISWAP commanders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.

Security officials described the arrest as a significant step toward justice for the victims of the Owo church massacre and the slain soldiers in Suleja.

They noted that the development underscores the sustained counter-terrorism efforts of the DSS and other security agencies in dismantling extremist networks operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.

The DSS has yet to issue an official public statement on the latest arrest, but sources say preparations are underway to formally charge Yusuf in connection with terrorism-related offences tied to the 2022 attack and other violent operations.