Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the sixth suspect linked to the 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which left over 40 worshippers dead and many others injured.
The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, was apprehended in Iguosa community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, where he had reportedly been hiding for nearly four years.
According to security sources, Yusuf is a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and had been on the agency’s wanted list since the attack. He was said to have initially fled to Kano State before relocating to Edo to evade arrest.
Sources disclosed that Yusuf has confessed to participating in the planning and execution of the Owo church attack. He also reportedly admitted involvement in other terrorist operations, including the 2022 attack on a military facility in Suleja, kidnappings in Kaduna State, and the deadly assault on security personnel at Zuma Rock checkpoint.
Meanwhile, the DSS is already prosecuting five other suspects, Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar in connection with the church massacre.
Security officials described Yusuf’s arrest as a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against terrorism and a significant step towards securing justice for victims of the Owo attack and other related incidents.
The June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church remains one of the deadliest assaults on a place of worship in Nigeria’s recent history.
