In a major counterterrorism breakthrough, the Department of State Services (DSS) has recaptured Abdulazeez Obadaki, a senior commander of the Ansaru extremist group, widely believed to have orchestrated the August 7, 2012 mass shooting at a Deeper Life Bible Church near Okene, Kogi State.<\/p>\n
At least 19 Christian worshippers, including the church\u2019s pastor, were killed when three gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the church during a service. Obadaki is also linked to a later attack on five commercial banks in Uromi, Edo State.<\/p>\n
Obadaki, also known by the alias \u201cBomboy,\u201d was initially arrested in the aftermath of the attacks, but escaped custody during the July 2022 jailbreak at Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja.<\/p>\n
According to security sources, shortly after his transfer from Kabba Custodial Centre in June 2022, he confessed to masterminding the jailbreak.<\/p>\n
He was tracked down and re-arrested on a recent Friday morning through what officials described as a \u201cwell-oiled intelligence operation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The recapture comes amid a surge of successes by the DSS under its new leadership, which has been fast-tracking prosecutions of terror suspects. Just two months ago, the DSS arraigned five suspects tied to the deadly 2022 Catholic Church attack in Owo, Ondo State.<\/p>\n
In another related development, Mahmud Usman, another high-ranking Ansaru commander, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Federal High Court in Abuja. He pleaded guilty to illegal mining, which prosecutors say served as a funding source for insurgent activities.<\/p>\n
Usman remains in DSS custody as he faces 31 additional terrorism-related charges.<\/p>\n
Further legal proceedings hover over Usman\u2019s co-defendant, Abubakar Abba (\u201cMahmud al-Nigeri\u201d), after their trial was adjourned to November 19, 2025, due to the DSS legal team’s absence.<\/p>\n
Obadaki\u2019s recapture marks a high-profile win for Nigeria\u2019s counterterrorism agencies. His role in one of the most notorious sectarian attacks underscores the capacity of intelligence-led operations to neutralize deeply embedded militant figures.<\/p>\n
With top Ansaru figures like Obadaki, Usman, and Abba now in custody, the DSS appears to be leveraging its recent operational gains into a robust prosecutorial push. This could erode Ansaru\u2019s command structure and financial networks.<\/p>\n
His earlier escape during the Kuje prison break was a major embarrassment for security services. His recapture could serve as a deterrent against future jailbreaks and reinforce the integrity of custodial facilities.<\/p>\n
Observers say these developments align with broader national efforts to dismantle terror cells linked to transnational networks. Ansaru, a splinter of Boko Haram, has long been associated with Al-Qaeda ideology, making its leadership particularly strategic for Nigeria\u2019s security apparatus.<\/p>\n
They say bringing Obadaki and other commanders fully to justice will require strong evidence, sustained legal will, and protection given the high stakes.<\/p>\n
Ansaru or allied cells, it is suggested, may attempt reprisals following the arrest, potentially targeting both security forces and civilians.<\/p>\n
A recently leaked advisory by the DSS to two states to be on the alert for terrorist attacks is being cited as one of the pro-active steps to nip reprisal attacks in the bud.<\/p>\n
Even without its top leaders, many fear thar Ansaru could regenerate if its financial and recruitment pipelines remain intact.<\/p>\n
Analysts recommend that maintaining sustained \u201cwell-oiled\u201d intelligence operations is necessary though it is resource-intensive adding that the DSS must guard against complacency or leaks.<\/p>\n
The DSS has not yet issued a full public statement, but sources say they are preparing to arraign Obadaki on multiple terrorism charges.<\/p>\n
It is believed that the National Security Adviser NSA Nuhu Ribadu, who previously confirmed other Ansaru arrests, may comment in due course, emphasising this as a \u201cturning point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Survivors, religious leaders, and human rights advocates may likely also demand transparency and a swift trial to deliver justice to victims\u2019 families.<\/p>\n
On August 7, 2012, three gunmen stormed a Deeper Life Bible Church near Okene, Kogi State, during a worship service. Armed with AK-47 rifles, they shot indiscriminately, killing 19 people \u2014 including the pastor \u2014 and injuring others. Although no group immediately claimed responsibility, Ansaru has since been strongly linked to the attack.<\/p>\n
The recapture of Abdulazeez Obadaki, analysts note, is a major win for Nigerian security forces and could mark a turning point in the ongoing fight against Ansaru\u2019s terror network. However, the true test now lies in ensuring a fair, fast, and effective prosecution \u2014 one that delivers justice for past victims while deterring future terror.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a major counterterrorism breakthrough, the Department of State Services (DSS) has recaptured Abdulazeez Obadaki, a senior commander of the Ansaru extremist group, widely believed to have orchestrated the August 7, 2012 mass shooting at a Deeper Life Bible Church near Okene, Kogi State. At least 19 Christian worshippers, including the church\u2019s pastor, were killed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":96020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5807,5777,7],"tags":[7494,169,2929,59,7492,7493],"class_list":["post-96019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-crime-and-violence","category-features","category-news","tag-deeper-life","tag-dss","tag-issues","tag-kogi","tag-obadaki","tag-recapture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=96019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/96020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=96019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=96019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=96019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}