Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested a sixth suspect linked to the June 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, nearly four years after the incident.
Security sources identified the suspect as Sani Yusuf, described as a high-ranking commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province. He was reportedly apprehended in Iguosa community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, following years of intelligence-led tracking and surveillance.
The Owo attack, carried out on Pentecost Sunday, left more than 40 worshippers dead and several others injured, drawing national and international condemnation.
According to security sources, Yusuf had been on the run since the attack, initially fleeing to Kano before relocating to the rural Edo community, where he lived quietly to evade arrest.
In custody, the suspect reportedly confessed to his role in the planning and execution of the church attack. He also admitted involvement in other ISWAP operations, including the July 2022 attack on a military facility in Suleja, the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault that killed five soldiers, and several kidnapping incidents in Kaduna State and surrounding areas.
A security source stated, “He admitted his role in the Owo church attack, the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault… and several ISWAP kidnap operations.”
The DSS is currently prosecuting five other suspects — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — in connection with the attack.
Another source described the latest arrest as “a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the Owo church attack” and evidence of the agency’s sustained efforts to dismantle terrorist networks across the country.
Authorities are expected to provide further details on Yusuf’s arraignment and possible inclusion in the ongoing trial of other suspects.
