One of the alleged masterminds of kidnappings in Kogi, Niger, Kwara and Zamfara states, Shafiu Usman, has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services.
Usman was said to have masterminded the December 14, 2025 attack on the Evangelical Church Winning All Church in Ayetoro, Kogi State.
Some DSS personnel disclosed that Usman was apprehended at a hideout in Gombe State, where he had reportedly gone into hiding after the incident.
One of the sources said Usman confessed during interrogation to orchestrating the Ayetoro church attack and other kidnapping operations in Niger, Kwara and Kogi states.
The source disclosed that the suspect worked with Ibrahim Battijo, described as a bandit operating across Niger, Kwara, Kogi and Zamfara states.
On December 14, 2025, armed men on motorcycles attacked Ayetoro-Kiri community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
They abducted at least 30 residents, mostly children and elderly worshippers, from churches and homes.
Speaking on the arrest, a senior DSS officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Our operatives arrested Shafiu Usman, the alleged mastermind behind the deadly attack on ECWA Church in Ayetoro, Kogi State.
“Usman was nabbed at a hideout in Gombe State, where he had been lying low. During interrogation, he confessed 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.
“After the Kogi attack, Usman fled to Gombe, but DSS operatives trailed and arrested him. This arrest underscores the DSS’s ongoing efforts in tackling banditry and terrorism, including recent operations in Gombe State that neutralised arms trafficking networks, rescued kidnap victims and dismantled cross-state syndicates. The suspect remains in our custody awaiting arraignment.”
