For nearly four years, he lived in the shadows — hiding in plain sight, blending into village life while security operatives closed in.
But the long game is over.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have swooped in to arrest the sixth suspect linked to the horrific 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo – an atrocity that left more than 40 worshippers dead and dozens maimed in one of Nigeria’s darkest days.
The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, is alleged to be a high-ranking commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Security sources say he quietly embedded himself in Iguosa community, along Powerline in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State, after briefly slipping through Kano in the chaotic aftermath of the bloodbath.
For years, DSS operatives tracked his movements. This week, they struck.
Yusuf’s arrest brings to six the number of suspects tied to the Owo carnage. Five others – Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) – are already facing prosecution on terrorism charges.
According to intelligence sources, Yusuf didn’t just run – he allegedly confessed.
He is said to have admitted involvement in the planning and execution of the Owo church slaughter. But the revelations didn’t stop there.
Sources claim he also confessed to participating in the July 2022 Suleja military barracks attack, the deadly assault on soldiers at Zuma Rock checkpoint that left five troops dead, and a string of kidnappings across Kaduna State and its environs.
“He admitted his role in the Owo church attack, the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault, and several ISWAP kidnap operations,” a security source disclosed.
Investigators further revealed that Yusuf allegedly operated under notorious ISWAP commander Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.
Security officials are hailing the arrest as a breakthrough moment – a turn in the relentless manhunt for those behind the Owo massacre.
For the grieving families of Owo and the fallen soldiers of Suleja, authorities say, justice may finally be tightening its grip.
