Justice at Last: DSS Nabs Final Owo Church Massacre Suspect in Edo

​The Department of State Services (DSS) has recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against insurgency with the arrest of the sixth and final suspect linked to the 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

​The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), was apprehended in the Iguosa community of Ovia North Local Government Area, Edo State. Yusuf had successfully evaded security agencies for nearly four years, hiding in plain sight along the Powerline axis of the community.

​A Trail of Terror

​Security sources reveal that Yusuf’s arrest follows years of relentless tracking. Since the June 2022 attack, which claimed over 40 lives and left dozens more maimed, the DSS has been narrowing down his movements. Yusuf reportedly fled to Kano shortly after the Owo carnage before relocating to the “sleepy” Edo community to embed himself among locals.

​Upon his arrest, Yusuf allegedly made a series of chilling confessions, admitting not only to the planning and execution of the Owo church attack but also to several other high-profile operations, including:

• ​The July 2022 Suleja Military Barracks Attack.
• ​The Zuma Rock Checkpoint Assault, which resulted in the death of five soldiers.
• ​Widespread Kidnappings across Kaduna State and its environs.

​Dismantling the ISWAP Hierarchy

​Investigators noted that Yusuf served directly under notorious ISWAP leaders like Abu Ikirimah, who was himself captured by the DSS in 2024. His arrest is seen as a decapitation strike against the local ISWAP cell responsible for terrorizing the North-Central and South-West corridors.

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​Yusuf now joins five other defendants — Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — who are currently facing terrorism charges.

​A senior security official described the arrest as a “significant milestone” for the victims of the Owo massacre and the fallen soldiers of Zuma Rock. “It underscores the relentless commitment of our operatives to ensure that no matter how long it takes, justice will be served,” the source added.