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| Nigeria Army & Department of State Service |
Security sources have reported that a joint intelligence-led operation involving the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun) resulted in the death of a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) leader in a forest area near Owo, Ondo State, over the weekend.
The individual was identified by the sources as Abdussamad Ohida (also known as Anwar). He was said to have been killed together with other ISWAP members when security forces conducted a surprise assault on a hideout.
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According to the same sources, Ohida had assumed leadership of certain ISWAP activities spanning parts of North-Central and southern Nigeria after the 2023 arrest by the DSS of his former commander, Abu Ikrimah (also known as Abu Uwais). Intelligence gathered during the interrogation of Abu Uwais reportedly helped identify alleged plans by Ohida to target civilians during the festive season and to create instability ahead of the 2027 general elections. One source stated that the information was corroborated by United Kingdom intelligence partners who supported the operation.
The sources further linked Ohida to several previous incidents, including the 31 December 2025 attack on the Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo (in which rifles were taken and the facility was later destroyed), as well as attacks on a military checkpoint on the Suleja-Zuba Road in Niger State, the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, and police facilities in Kogi State.
One security source characterised the latest operation as a significant disruption to ISWAP’s leadership and operational network in central and southern Nigeria. The development comes after the earlier reported killing of another ISIS-linked figure, Abu Bilal al-Minuki, which sources said had already hampered expansion efforts by Islamic State-affiliated groups in the country.
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Note: This account is based on information provided by security sources. Official confirmation from the relevant agencies was still pending at the time of publication.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Technology.
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