Abuja -The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Thursday announced the arrest of two additional fighters of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), suspected to be behind the June 5 attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.
Their arrest was confirmed in a statement in Abuja by Director of Defence Information, Jimmy Akpor.
Those arrested are Al-Qasim Idris and Abdulhaleem Idris.
The statement said that they were arrested on August 9 at Omialafara) Omulafa, Ose Local Government, Ondo State.
This brings to six,the number of suspects so fararrested in connection with the attack in which over 40 worshippers were killed during a church service.
Akpor said the two suspected ISWAP fighters were arrested through the collaborative efforts of the military and the DSS.
“Recall that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, during his parley with media executives and editors on Tuesday 9 August 2022, informed of the arrest of 4 terrorists among those who carried out the attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo on 5 June 2022.
“They were arrested through a combined operation by military and DSS personnel at Eika, Okehi LGA, Kogi State on 1 August 2022.
“Those arrested include Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (a.k.a Bin Malik), Momoh Otohu Abubakar, Aliyu Yusuf Itopa and Auwal Ishaq Onimisi.
“Barely few hours after the disclosure by the CDS of the arrest of 4 of the Owo Catholic Church attackers, 2 additional ISWAP terrorists, who were also connected to the attack on the church were apprehended at Omialafara (Omulafa), Ose LGA, Ondo State yesterday, 9 August 2022.
“The arrests were made through the collaborative effort by military and DSS personnel. The suspects are Al-Qasim Idris and Abdulhaleem Idris.
“It is instructive to note that Abdulhaleem, alongside other high profile ISWAP commanders, had also previously coordinated attacks on military targets in Okene, Okene LGA, Kogi State resulting in casualties,” Akpor said in the statement. (vitalnewsng.com)
