Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended another suspect linked to the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
It would be recalled that more than 40 worshippers were killed and many others injured.
The arrest brings to six the number of suspects connected to the deadly assault.
Five individuals; Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), are already standing trial for alleged terrorism-related offences.
Security sources revealed that the latest suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, had been on the run for nearly four years, making him one of the country’s most wanted fugitives.
He was reportedly tracked and arrested in the Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to the sources, Yusuf is believed to be a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Following the Owo church attack, he allegedly fled to Kano before relocating to the Edo community, where he kept a low profile.
Investigators disclosed that Yusuf has admitted involvement in the planning and execution of the Owo church attack.
He also said to have confessed to participating in other terrorist operations attributed to ISWAP, including the July 2022 attack on a military barracks in Suleja and multiple kidnapping incidents in Kaduna State and surrounding areas.
Sources further stated that Yusuf acknowledged taking part in the assault on security personnel at the Zuma Rock checkpoint, which resulted in the deaths of five soldiers.
He also reportedly disclosed that he operated under the command of other ISWAP leaders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.
Security officials described the arrest as a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to ensure accountability for the victims of the Owo church massacre and other related attacks, reaffirming the DSS’s sustained campaign against terrorism across the country.