DA
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the sixth suspect linked to the June 5, 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, security sources said on Wednesday.
The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, was apprehended in Iguosa community, Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State, after nearly four years on the run.
Security officials described Yusuf as a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) who fled to Kano State after the church attack before relocating to Edo to evade arrest.
A source told journalists that Yusuf confessed to involvement in planning and executing the Owo church massacre, which left more than 40 worshippers dead and many injured. He also reportedly admitted to participation in other ISWAP-linked attacks, including the July 2022 assault on a military barracks in Suleja and several kidnappings in Kaduna State.
Earlier arrests in the case include five suspects already facing terrorism charges in Abuja: Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Abubakar (47).
The DSS has not yet formally issued a public statement on Yusuf’s arrest, but the development is being described by security analysts as a major breakthrough in the long-running hunt for those responsible for one of Nigeria’s deadliest church attacks in recent years.
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Oyetoke Adedayo Ebenezer
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