February 27, (THEWILL) — Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have recorded a major security breakthrough with the arrest of an alleged mastermind behind the deadly attack on ECWA Church, Ayetoro, in Kogi State, an incident resulting in the abduction of no fewer than 20 worshippers on December 14, 2025.
The development comes days after the reported arrest of Sani Yusuf in Iguosa community, Edo State, where he had allegedly evaded security agents for nearly four years following his alleged role in masterminding the 2022 Owo church massacre and other ISWAP-linked terrorist attacks, including the July 2022 Suleja military barracks attack and several kidnappings in Kaduna State.
A senior security official confirmed on Friday that the suspect in the Kogi attack, identified as Shafiu Usman, was apprehended at a hideout in Gombe State, where he had reportedly been lying low to avoid arrest after intensified intelligence operations by security agencies.
According to the official, Usman confessed during interrogation to orchestrating the Ayetoro church attack and coordinating multiple kidnappings and violent operations across Niger State, Kwara State, and Kogi State.
Security sources further disclosed that the suspect admitted working closely with Ibrahim Dange Battijo, a notorious bandit leader, allegedly responsible for several attacks spanning Niger, Kwara, Kogi, and Zamfara states.
“Shafiu admitted to involvement in kidnapping, banditry, and cattle rustling. He said Ibrahim Battijo supplied him with arms and ammunition”, the source said, adding that the suspect fled to Gombe shortly after the Kogi attack but was tracked and arrested through sustained surveillance and intelligence gathering.
The official noted that the arrest underscores ongoing DSS operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and curbing banditry and terrorism across affected regions. Recent operations, the source added, have disrupted arms-trafficking routes, rescued kidnapped victims, and dismantled cross-state criminal syndicates.
Usman is currently in DSS custody and is expected to be arraigned upon the conclusion of investigations.
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