The Department of State Services (DSS) has apprehended Shafiu Usman, identified as the orchestrator of multiple violent attacks, including the high-profile Kwara church abduction months back.
A DSS source confirmed that Usman was captured in a hideout in Gombe State, where he had been evading authorities since the Ayetoro, Kwara church incident.
Usman reportedly played a central role not only in the church attack but also in a series of kidnappings across Kogi, Niger, and Kwara States.
During questioning, Usman admitted to collaborating with notorious bandit Ibrahim Battijo, who allegedly supplied him with weapons and logistical support for criminal operations spanning multiple states.
“Shafiu admitted to involvement in kidnapping, banditry, and cattle rustling. He said Ibrahim Battijo supplied him with arms and ammunition,” a DSS source disclosed on Friday.
The source revealed further that after the attack on the ECWA Church, where over 20 worshippers were abducted on December 14, 2025, Usman fled to Gombe, but DSS operatives tracked him down and effected his arrest.
“This arrest underscores the DSS’s ongoing achievements 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 source added.
