DSS Arrests Sixth Suspect in Owo Church Attack

The Department of State Services (DSS) has captured Sani Yusuf, the sixth suspect connected to the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which resulted in the deaths of 40 worshippers and left others injured.

The DSS had previously prosecuted five suspects: Idri Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idri (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idri (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), who were allegedly involved in the terror act. Yusuf had evaded arrest and was on Nigeria's wanted list.

He was apprehended in Iguosa community, Ovia North Local Government Area, Edo State, after being tracked by security operatives. Reports indicate that he confessed to planning and executing the Owo church massacre and admitted involvement in other ISWAP-led operations, including a July 2022 attack on a military barrack in Suleja and multiple kidnappings in Kaduna State.

His arrest represents a significant breakthrough in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the Owo church attack and underscores the DSS's ongoing efforts against terrorism.