Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested a sixth suspect linked to the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where over 40 worshippers were killed and many others injured.

The security agency had earlier apprehended five suspects Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Abubakar (47) who are currently standing trial in Abuja for alleged acts of terrorism.

A security source disclosed on Wednesday that the latest suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, was arrested in Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State after years of surveillance.

According to the source, Yusuf is described as a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Following the Owo church attack, he reportedly fled to Kano before relocating to the Edo community, where he was eventually tracked and arrested.

“Our operatives had been on his trail for years before he was apprehended in Edo State. He has confessed to participating in the planning and execution of the Owo church massacre,” the source said.

Further intelligence indicates that Yusuf was also allegedly involved in the July 2022 attack on the Suleja military barracks, kidnappings in Kaduna State and surrounding areas, and the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault that claimed the lives of five soldiers.

He reportedly operated under senior ISWAP commanders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.

Security sources noted that Yusuf’s arrest highlights ongoing efforts by the DSS to prevent insurgent cells from establishing new operational bases in southern forests and peri-urban communities.

The June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church during a Pentecost Sunday service remains one of the deadliest incidents in Southwest Nigeria.

Gunmen detonated explosives and opened fire on worshippers, killing more than 40 people, including women and children.

Historically considered relatively insulated from the high-intensity insurgency in the Northeast, the attack heightened fears of expanding militant operations into Nigeria’s Southwest region.