Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the sixth suspect linked to the horrific 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church, where over 40 worshippers were brutally killed and scores injured.
The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, was apprehended in Iguosa community, along Powerline axis in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State, after nearly four years on the run.
Yusuf had reportedly been one of Nigeria’s most wanted fugitives since the June 5, 2022 terror attack that shocked the nation and drew global condemnation.
The Owo massacre, carried out during Sunday Mass at the Catholic church in Owo, left families shattered and an entire community traumatised.
Survivors recounted how gunmen stormed the church premises, detonated explosives and opened fire indiscriminately on worshippers.
According to a senior security source who spoke on condition of anonymity, DSS operatives had been tracking Yusuf’s movements for years before finally cornering him.
Operatives of the DSS, who had painstakingly been on his trail since 2022, arrested Sani Yusuf in Iguosa community in Edo State. He had carefully concealed his identity while living quietly among unsuspecting residents.
Investigations revealed that Yusuf, described as a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), initially fled to Kano State shortly after the Owo attack before relocating to the sleepy Edo community where he remained in hiding.
“Yusuf is not an ordinary foot soldier. He is a high-profile ISWAP commander who played a strategic role in the planning and execution of the Owo church massacre,” the source said.
More damning revelations emerged during interrogation.
According to security officials, Yusuf has confessed to direct involvement in the Owo church attack as well as other deadly operations attributed to ISWAP.
“He admitted his role in the Owo church attack, the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault, which claimed the lives of five soldiers, and several ISWAP kidnap operations,” the source disclosed.
Security insiders further confirmed that Yusuf confessed to participating in the July 2022 attack on the Suleja military barracks and multiple kidnappings across Kaduna State and its environs.
“Yusuf also disclosed that he served under other ISWAP top commanders like Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.”
The DSS is already prosecuting five other suspects — Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) — for allegedly carrying out acts of terrorism in connection with the Owo massacre.
Security authorities say Yusuf’s arrest brings renewed hope for justice for the victims and their families.
“This arrest marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the Owo church attack, the soldiers killed at Zuma Rock checkpoint in Suleja, and underscores the relentless campaign by the DSS in the fight against terrorism,” the source added.