DSS Arrests Alleged Mastermind of Kogi Church Kidnap

The Department of State Services (DSS) apprehended Shafiu Usman, who is alleged to be the mastermind behind the deadly kidnapping of 20 worshippers at the ECWA Church in Ayetoro, Kogi State, on December 14, 2025. Security sources disclosed that Usman was arrested in his hideout in Gombe State, where he had reportedly been lying low following the attack.

During interrogation, Usman confessed to orchestrating the Ayetoro church attack and admitted to being involved in various criminal activities, including banditry and cattle rustling across Niger, Kwara, and Kogi States. He also revealed his collaboration with Ibrahim Dang Battijo, who is described as a bandit operating across Niger, Kwara, and Zamfara States.

Following the Kogi attack, Usman fled to Gombe State in an attempt to evade arrest. The DSS has not yet issued an official statement regarding the arrest, but security officials emphasized the agency's ongoing operations against banditry and terrorism.