The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Sani Yusuf, the sixth suspect in the 2022 St. Francis Catholic Church attack in Owo, Ondo State, where over 40 worshippers were killed. He joins five others already facing prosecution for terrorism-related charges.

Yusuf, a high-ranking ISWAP commander, had evaded capture for nearly four years before being apprehended in Iguosa community, Edo State. Security sources revealed he confessed to planning and executing the Owo church massacre.

He also admitted involvement in other ISWAP attacks, including the July 2022 Suleja military barracks assault, kidnap operations in Kaduna, and the Zuma Rock checkpoint attack that killed five soldiers.

Analysts say Yusuf’s arrest is a key milestone in delivering justice for Owo church victims and demonstrates the DSS’s ongoing efforts against terrorism in Nigeria.