Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Pierre Antoine
Operatives of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended a key suspect believed to be the mastermind behind the deadly December 14, 2025 attack on the First Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Ayetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State. The arrest marks a significant development in the continuing efforts by Nigerian authorities to disrupt violent banditry, kidnapping rings and cross-border criminal networks that have plagued parts of the country in recent years.
Security sources confirmed that the suspect, identified as Shafiu Usman, was located and arrested at a hideout in Gombe State after months of intelligence operations. According to officials, Usman had been evading capture since the fatal church assault, going into hiding to avoid arrest while maintaining links with other criminal elements. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed to orchestrating the Ayetoro church attack and admitted involvement in a series of kidnappings and violent crimes spanning Niger State, Kwara State and Kogi State itself.
The December 2025 assault on the ECWA church shocked residents and authorities alike. Armed gunmen riding motorcycles stormed the church during a service, firing indiscriminately at congregants and abducting more than 20 worshippers. Survivors described the sudden violence as chaotic and terrifying, with victims dragged into nearby forests before the attackers fled. The abduction of a large group of worshippers amplified public fears about insecurity in Nigeria’s North-Central region, where bandit attacks and kidnappings have surged in recent years.
According to security officials, Usman acknowledged during questioning that he had collaborated with Ibrahim Dange Battijo, a banned and notorious bandit leader with a long record of violent operations across Niger, Kwara, Kogi and Zamfara State. Banditry in these states has involved kidnapping for ransom, cattle rustling, attacks on rural communities and violent clashes with security forces, contributing to chronic instability in the region.
In addition to charges related to the church attack, Usman reportedly admitted to orchestrating other criminal enterprises, including large-scale kidnappings and cattle rustling — criminal strategies that have increasingly become interwoven with bandit networks in Nigeria’s interior states. Usman’s confession implicates a broader nexus of armed criminality that has challenged national and regional security forces.
The DSS has maintained that Usman’s arrest underscores the agency’s commitment to intelligence-driven operations targeting insurgents, bandits and interstate criminal syndicates. Officials highlighted recent operations in Gombe State that successfully disrupted arms trafficking networks, dismantled criminal networks and secured the release of kidnapped victims prior to Usman’s arrest, demonstrating sustained pressure on criminal elements across multiple states.
The arrest also comes on the heels of other high-profile security successes by Nigerian authorities, including the capture of a “high-profile commander” of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) linked to the 2022 Owo church attack in Ondo State. These operations reflect a broader strategic emphasis by security agencies on intelligence collaboration, cross-regional coordination and targeted surveillance to dismantle armed groups and reduce the operational space available to bandits and terrorists.
Security analysts say that Nigeria’s internal security landscape has been shaped by an evolving threat environment over the past decade, with banditry emerging as a primary driver of violence in the North-West and North-Central regions. These criminal networks often sustain themselves through kidnappings for ransom, cattle theft, control of illicit routes and intimidation of rural communities. In some cases, they interact with ideological terrorist groups, complicating efforts to differentiate motives and strategies behind attacks on civilian targets.
The 2025 attack on the ECWA church in Ayetoro Kiri was widely condemned at the time by civil society organizations, religious leaders and government officials. It highlighted the vulnerability of both urban and rural communities to armed assaults and underscored the need for more robust security frameworks at the community, state and federal levels. The event drew national scrutiny of local security mechanisms and raised calls for improved coordination between law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders.
The DSS has indicated that Usman remains in custody as investigations progress and that formal charges are expected once the agency wraps up its fact-finding and evidence gathering. Legal experts have noted that navigating the prosecution of suspects involved in trans-state crime networks requires meticulous documentation and coordination with prosecutorial authorities to ensure due process and international standards of justice are upheld.
Community advocacy groups in Kogi State have welcomed the arrest, describing it as a step toward accountability for victims of the church attack and other violent crimes. They have urged security authorities to maintain pressure on criminal networks and to extend protective measures to vulnerable communities. Local leaders have also pressed for expanded intelligence gathering and more proactive peacebuilding efforts to address the root causes of banditry, including unemployment, poverty and limited economic opportunity in rural areas.
While the arrest of Shafiu Usman represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s security efforts, experts caution that sustainable progress will depend on continued cooperation among military and civilian security agencies, strengthened judicial processes and comprehensive policies aimed at dismantling the economic and social networks that sustain violent crime. Just as importantly, community participation in reporting and preventing criminal activities remains a crucial component of broader stabilization efforts.
Stone Reporters note that the arrest of a suspected architect of the Ayetoro Kiri attack reflects a continuing commitment by Nigerian security services to confront pervasive threats to public safety. However, the broader challenge of ensuring lasting peace and security in regions affected by banditry and insurgency will require a coordinated and sustained response beyond the apprehension of one individual.
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