On February 25, 2026, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS, often referred to as State Security Service or SS) arrested a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) identified as Sani Yusuf, who is suspected to be the sixth individual linked to the deadly June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
The Pentecost Sunday massacre claimed at least 40 lives (with some estimates higher) and injured dozens more, as gunmen opened fire and detonated explosives on worshippers during service. Nigerian authorities initially attributed the attack to ISWAP, though the group never claimed responsibility, and some reports later linked suspects to Al Shabaab affiliations in court filings.
Yusuf, who had evaded capture for nearly four years, was apprehended in Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, where he had been hiding in a village. A security source confirmed that the suspect has confessed to his involvement in planning and executing the Owo church massacre, as well as participating in other ISWAP operations, including the July 2022 attack on the Suleja correctional facility.
This arrest follows the earlier apprehension and ongoing prosecution of five other suspects; Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (a.k.a. Bin Malik), Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, who were arrested in 2022 in Kogi and Ondo States. They face terrorism charges in Federal High Court, Abuja, including membership in proscribed terrorist groups, with trials advancing through witness testimonies (including DSS operatives detailing intelligence-led tracking via phone data, IMEI analysis, and cell tower triangulation).
The breakthrough is hailed as a significant win in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts, demonstrating persistent pursuit of perpetrators in the long-running insurgency. No immediate details on further charges against Yusuf or potential handover to court were released, but the arrest underscores ongoing threats from jihadist elements expanding beyond traditional northeast strongholds.
