Owo Church Massacre: DSS Captures Sixth Suspect, a ‘High-Profile’ ISWAP Commander, After Four-Year Manhunt

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Sani Yusuf, a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), who is believed to be the sixth suspect in the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

The raid that led to his capture took place in Iguosa community, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, where Yusuf had been hiding for nearly four years. Security sources say he initially fled to Kano after the attack before relocating to the quiet Edo village.

Yusuf has reportedly confessed to playing a key role in planning and executing the Owo church massacre, which left over 40 worshippers dead and many others injured when gunmen opened fire and detonated explosives during a Pentecost Sunday service.

He also admitted involvement in other ISWAP operations, including the July 2022 attack on a military checkpoint near Zuma Rock in Suleja, Niger State, which killed five soldiers, as well as multiple kidnap incidents in Kaduna State and surrounding areas.

According to sources briefed on the interrogation, Yusuf revealed he operated under other senior ISWAP figures, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.

The DSS is already prosecuting five other suspects in an Abuja Federal High Court trial for terrorism-related charges connected to the Owo attack: Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47).

The arrest is being described by security officials as a major breakthrough in the long-running pursuit of justice for the victims and their families. The Owo massacre remains one of the deadliest single attacks on a place of worship in Nigeria’s recent history and has been widely attributed to ISWAP.

The DSS has not yet issued a formal public statement on the arrest or the suspect’s current status, but sources indicate Yusuf is in custody and cooperating with investigators. The agency is expected to provide further details as the investigation progresses.

The capture comes amid Nigeria’s ongoing struggle to contain jihadist violence in the northeast and increasingly in other parts of the country, where ISWAP and Boko Haram factions continue to carry out attacks, abductions, and extortion.

Civil society groups and religious leaders have repeatedly called for stronger accountability and protection for vulnerable communities. The arrest may offer new leads into ISWAP’s operational networks and command structure.