Operatives of the department of state services have arrested Shafiu Usman, the alleged mastermind of the December 14, 2025 attack on ECWA church in Ayetoro, Kogi State.
Security sources said Usman was found at a hideout in Gombe State, where he had gone into hiding after the attack.
According to a source, “Usman confessed during interrogation to orchestrating the Ayetoro church attack, as well as other kidnappings in Niger, Kwara, and Kogi States. He collaborated with Ibrahim Battijo, a notorious bandit operating across Niger, Kwara, Kogi, and Zamfara States.”
The source added, “After the Kogi attack, Usman fled to Gombe, but DSS operatives trailed and arrested him.
“This arrest underscores the DSS’s ongoing achievements in tackling banditry and terrorism, including recent operations in Gombe State that neutralized arms trafficking networks, rescued kidnap victims, and dismantled cross-state syndicates. The suspect remains in our custody awaiting arraignment.”
During the December attack, armed men on motorcycles stormed Ayetoro-Kiri community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, abducting at least 30 residents, mostly children and elderly worshippers.
The attackers also ransacked homes and churches before fleeing through nearby forests.
