The Department of State Services has apprehended a man alleged to have coordinated the December 14, 2025 assault on the ECWA Church in Ayetoro, Kogi State.
Security sources disclosed on Friday that the suspect, Shafiu Usman, was captured in Gombe State, where he had reportedly relocated after the attack.
According to a source familiar with the operation, the suspect admitted while in custody to planning the church invasion and supervising other kidnapping missions across Kogi, Niger and Kwara states.
Investigators also linked him to Ibrahim Battijo, said to be a notorious bandit kingpin with activities stretching through Niger, Kwara, Kogi and Zamfara states.
The source explained that following the attack in Kogi, Usman fled to Gombe in a bid to evade arrest but was trailed and picked up by DSS operatives after intelligence tracking.
He remains in custody and is expected to be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
The December 14 attack occurred in Ayetoro-Kiri community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, when armed men riding motorcycles stormed homes and a church, abducting at least 30 residents, including children and elderly worshippers, before escaping into surrounding forests.
Security agencies have since intensified efforts to curb banditry and kidnapping across the affected states.
