Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested a suspect, Shafiu Usman, who is allegedly linked to the 2025 attack on a church in Kogi State.
Usman is suspected to be the mastermind behind the deadly assault on the First ECWA Church, Ayetoro Kiri in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, where gunmen stormed during a worship service and opened fire indiscriminately to create panic among congregants.
A DSS source confirmed the arrest to Newsmen, though details regarding the exact location and timing of the apprehension were not disclosed.
Armed assailants had attacked the church on December 14, 2025, disrupting the service by shooting sporadically and forcing worshippers to flee. Witnesses said the attackers abducted an undisclosed number of congregants, leading them through nearby bush paths while the community was thrown into chaos and fear.
The arrest comes shortly after the security agency announced the capture of a high-profile commander linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) over the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, which claimed over 40 lives and left several others injured.
The DSS is currently prosecuting five suspects in connection with the Owo church massacre, identified as Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47), who are alleged to have played various roles in planning the attack.
Security sources said the arrested suspect was captured in the Iguosa community along Powerline, Ovia North-East in Edo State. Reports also indicated that he allegedly served senior ISWAP commanders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.
The latest arrest follows another attack in the Okun region, where armed men invaded a Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Ejiba on November 30, abducting a cleric identified as Orlando and about 13 worshippers during a service.
Authorities said investigations are ongoing as security agencies intensify efforts to dismantle networks behind attacks on religious targets.
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