Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency, the Department of State Services (DSS), says it has arrested a sixth suspect in connection with the 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church.
The assault, which took place in June 2022 in Owo, left dozens of worshippers dead and plunged the country into mourning.
Quoting Vanguard News, security sources said the suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, was arrested in Edo State after what they described as years of intelligence gathering and surveillance.
He is alleged to be a senior commander in the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), an armed group operating in parts of Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.
According to the sources, Yusuf had evaded capture since the Owo attack, moving between states before settling in a rural community in Edo, where he reportedly lived undetected for several years.
The DSS is already prosecuting five other suspects over the attack. They are Idris Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; Abdulhaleem Idris, 25; and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, 47. The case is ongoing in court.
Security officials say Yusuf has confessed to involvement in the planning and execution of the Owo church attack. Truthlive News Media has not independently verified this claim.
He is also alleged to have admitted involvement in other attacks linked to ISWAP, including the July 2022 assault on a military barracks in Suleja and an attack at a checkpoint near Zuma Rock, where several soldiers were killed. Authorities further claim he took part in kidnapping operations in Kaduna State and surrounding areas.
Another security source said Yusuf had previously worked under other senior ISWAP figures, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.
“This arrest marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the Owo church attack and the soldiers killed at the Zuma Rock checkpoint in Suleja and underscores the relentless campaign by the DSS in the fight against terrorism,” one security source said.
The DSS has not yet released an official public statement detailing the arrest or outlining the next steps in the legal process.
