Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested a suspected mastermind of the December 14, 2025 attack on a church in Kogi State, in what security sources described as a major breakthrough in efforts to curb cross-border banditry in the North-Central region.
The suspect identified as Shafiu Usman was captured from a hideout in Gombe State after months of surveillance and intelligence tracking.
Usman is believed to have masterminded the attack on the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) at Ayetoro Kiri, Kaba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, during which over 20 worshipers were abducted in the middle of their Sunday service.
The attack on the church sparked outrage and condemnation across Kogi and beyond, with religious leaders and community groups calling for immediate action to stop the increasing attacks on soft targets, especially in rural communities.
Security sources said Usman had been on the run since the incident, moving between states to avoid arrest before settling in Gombe. Acting on credible intelligence, DSS operatives reportedly located and arrested him without incident.
During interrogation, Usman allegedly confessed to planning the Ayetoro Kiri kidnapping and to his involvement in several kidnappings and violent crimes in Niger State, Kwara State and Kogi.
The suspect is also said to have revealed operational links with Ibrahim Dange Battijo, a suspected bandit leader allegedly linked to a criminal network spanning Niger, Kwara, Kogi and Zamfara State.
Osman reportedly admitted to participating in banditry, kidnapping and cattle smuggling operations and identified Batijo as a major supplier of arms and ammunition used in the attacks.
Security officials described the arrest as an important step in dismantling inter-state criminal syndicates, which take advantage of porous inter-state borders and forest corridors to carry out operations before retreating to safe havens.
The Ayetoro Kiri church kidnapping in December 2025 was one of several high-profile attacks that raised fears in parts of Kogi West and surrounding states. Communities in Kabba/Bunu and neighboring local government areas have repeatedly complained of kidnappings on highways and raids on remote settlements.
The incident underlined growing concerns about the spread of banditry from the north-west states into parts of the north-central region, with armed groups becoming increasingly active in several states.
Security sources said recent DSS operations have disrupted arms trafficking routes, helped rescue kidnap victims and dismantled criminal cells in Gombe and surrounding states.
