The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor has said, the assailants linked to the terror attack on the Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo have been arrested.
General Irabor disclosed this today Tuesday August 2022 during a parley with media executives and news editors from media organisations in Nigeria.
General Irabor said the attackers were arrested during a joint operations involving the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Department of Security Services (DSS) and the Nigeria police force.
General Irabor said that, through the collaborative efforts of military and DSS personnel, 4 terrorists were arrested at Eika, Okehi LGA, Kogi State on 1 August 2022. Those arrested included Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (a.k.a Bin Malik), Momoh Otohu Abubakar, Aliyu Yusuf Itopa and Auwal Ishaq Onimisi. The Defence Chief said, preliminary investigation revealed that Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza was the mastermind of the terror attack on the Owo Catholic Church as well as the attack on a Police Station in Adavi LGA, Kogi State on 23 June 2022, during which a policeman was killed and weapons carted away.
The Defence Chief also mentioned the arrest of another terrorist, Idris Ojo (32 years), who was apprehended at Ayetoro Osi, Ondo State through the combined effort of military and DSS personnel on 7 August 2022. Idris Ojo, the CDS said, was one of the suspected ISWAP terrorists who escaped from the Kuje Medium Correctional Centre highlighted on 5 July 2022. The CDS also mentioned that Ojo was arrested alongside Jimoh Ibrahim (39 years), a sympathizer of the terrorist group, who accommodated him.
Spye News reports that the suspected terrorists invaded the church on June 5, killing no fewer than 40 people and injuring many other worshippers, and also detonated explosives as the worshippers scampered for safety.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Amotekun commander, Adetunji Adeleye, on Thursday June 23rd 2022 said some suspects had been arrested in connection with the killing.
He stated this while parading some 71 men who were arrested for various criminal activities across the state.
Adeleye, however, did not give the actual figure of the suspected terrorists arrested but expressed assurance that all the attackers of the worship center would be apprehended.
