A joint team of Nigerian security forces has killed Abdussamad Ohida, also known as Anwar, identified by security authorities as a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), during an intelligence-led operation in Owo, Ondo State.
Ohida was killed alongside several other members of the group in a forest in the Owo axis during the weekend operation involving troops of the Nigerian Army, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Western Nigeria Security Network, also known as Amotekun Corps. The 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army confirmed the operation.
According to the DSS and security sources, Ohida previously served as deputy to Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais, who was identified as the ISWAP Central Nigeria leader before his arrest by the DSS in 2023. The sources said Ohida subsequently assumed a leadership role in the group’s activities across parts of the North-Central and southern regions.
The DSS said intelligence obtained during the investigation of Abu Ikrimah indicated that Ohida was planning attacks against civilians during the forthcoming festive period, with an alleged intention to disrupt the 2027 general elections. The service also said intelligence from international partners, including the United Kingdom, supported the operation.
Security agencies also linked Ohida to a number of previous attacks, including the December 31, 2025, attack on the Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo, where eight AK-47 rifles were reportedly taken before the station was destroyed with an explosive device. He was also accused of involvement in attacks on security facilities in Niger, Kogi and Abuja in 2022, as well as a December 2020 attack on a naval checkpoint in Okene. These allegations were made by security agencies and have not been independently established in court.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa commended the Army, DSS and Amotekun Corps for what he described as a successful intelligence-led operation. He called for sustained inter-agency cooperation and intelligence sharing to address emerging security threats in the state.
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