The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly re-arrested Abdulazeez Obadaki, a suspected commander of the Ansaru terrorist group accused of masterminding the deadly 2012 attack on Deeper Life Bible Church in Okene, Kogi State.
Obadaki, who had previously escaped custody during the 2022 Kuje Custodial Centre jailbreak, was captured during a well-coordinated DSS operation on Friday morning.
The 2012 attack, which left 19 worshippers, including the church pastor, dead, occurred when three gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the church during an evening service, opening fire on the congregation.
Obadaki, also known as “Bomboy,” is believed to have played a central role in orchestrating this massacre, as well as other high-profile crimes, including violent bank robberies in Uromi, Edo State, in 2022.
While the DSS has yet to release an official statement on the re-arrest, sources described the operation as a major breakthrough in the agency’s intensified efforts to combat terrorism.
This arrest follows a string of recent successes by the DSS, including the prosecution of suspects linked to the 2022 Owo Catholic Church attack.