The Pathfinder
Thursday February 26, 2026
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The Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended the final suspect linked to the horrific 2022 massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
In the security circle, this has been regarded as a major breakthrough by the operatives of the DSS for national security.
The arrest of Sani Yusuf, a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), concludes a nearly four-year manhunt for the fugitive who had remained one of Nigeria’s most wanted terrorists.
Yusuf was reportedly tracked down and arrested in the Iguosa community of Ovia North Local Government Area, Edo State. Security sources reveal that following the Owo attack, which claimed over 40 lives, Yusuf initially fled to Kano before seeking refuge in the quiet Edo community.
His arrest brings the number of suspects in custody for the Owo massacre to six, joining Idris Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar, who are already facing prosecution.
Beyond the church attack, Yusuf has reportedly provided chilling confessions regarding his involvement in several other high-profile terrorist operations.
He admitted to participating in the July 2022 assault on the Zuma Rock military checkpoint in Suleja, which resulted in the deaths of five soldiers, as well as various ISWAP kidnapping rings operating within Kaduna State and its environs.
Intelligence sources noted that Yusuf served directly under notorious ISWAP leaders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was apprehended by the DSS in 2024.
Officials have described this latest arrest as a significant milestone in the fight against insurgency, providing a sense of closure for the victims of the Owo tragedy and reaffirming the DSS’s commitment to dismantling terrorist cells across the country.
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