Barely hours after the arrest of five suspected masterminds of the attack on Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo state, the Defense Headquarters has disclosed that two more Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists linked to the attack have been arrested.
Truthlive.net had reported that the Chief of Defense Staff CDS, General Lucky Irabor, had on Tuesday revealed the identities of five suspected attackers, all of whom where from Kogi state.
Recall that more than 40 persons were said to have been killed and several others injured after gunmen stormed the Catholic church in Owo, Sunday June 5, 2022.
Following the attack which attracted wide condemnation from both international and local bodies, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered security agencies to launch man-haunt for the attackers.
The Director of Defence Information, Jimmy Akpor, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that two more suspected ISWAP fighters linked to the heinous attack have been arrested.
Part of the statement reads: “Recall that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, during his parley with media executives and editors yesterday, Tuesday 9 August 2022, informed of the arrest of 4 terrorists among those who carried out the attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo on 5 June 2022,” Akpor said.
“They were arrested through a combined operation by military and DSS personnel at Eika, Okehi LGA, Kogi State on 1 August 2022.
“Those arrested include Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (a.k.a Bin Malik), Momoh Otohu Abubakar, Aliyu Yusuf Itopa and Auwal Ishaq Onimisi.
“Barely few hours after the disclosure by the CDS of the arrest of 4 of the Owo Catholic Church attackers, 2 additional ISWAP terrorists, who were also connected to the attack on the church were apprehended at Omialafara (Omulafa), Ose LGA, Ondo State yesterday, 9 August 2022.
“The arrests were made through the collaborative effort by military and DSS personnel. The suspects are Al-Qasim Idris and Abdulhaleem Idris.
“It is instructive to note that Abdulhaleem, alongside other high profile ISWAP commanders, had also previously coordinated attacks on military targets in Okene, Okene LGA, Kogi State resulting in casualties.”
