Nigeria’s security agencies have recorded a major breakthrough in the long-running investigation into the 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, following the arrest of a suspected key operative believed to have played a central role in the attack that shocked the nation.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday night apprehended Sani Yusuf, identified by security authorities as a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in Iguosa community along the Powerline axis of Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State.
Security sources disclosed that Yusuf had evaded arrest for nearly four years after the deadly assault on worshippers in Owo, Ondo State, where more than 40 people were killed and several others injured during a church service.
Investigators said the suspect initially fled to Kano State shortly after the attack before relocating quietly to Edo State, where he allegedly lived under the radar until intelligence tracking led operatives to his hideout.
His arrest brings to six the number of suspects directly linked to the attack currently in custody.
The DSS is already prosecuting five others – Idris Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47 – over alleged acts of terrorism connected to the massacre.
According to security insiders familiar with the investigation, Yusuf has allegedly made far-reaching confessions detailing his role in both the planning and execution of the Owo church attack.
He is also said to have admitted involvement in several other high-profile terrorist operations attributed to ISWAP, including the July 2022 assault on a military barracks in Suleja, the deadly attack at the Zuma Rock military checkpoint which reportedly claimed the lives of five soldiers, as well as multiple kidnapping operations across Kaduna State and neighbouring areas.
Sources further revealed that the suspect operated under senior ISWAP leadership structures, including Abu Ikirimah, another prominent commander arrested by DSS operatives in 2024 as part of ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
Security officials described Yusuf’s capture as a significant step toward accountability for victims of the Owo church massacre and other terror-related incidents, noting that intelligence-led operations against extremist cells remain ongoing across several parts of the country.
Authorities believe the arrest could provide fresh insights into the operational networks, recruitment pipelines and logistics systems sustaining insurgent activities beyond the North-East theatre of conflict.
