Operatives of the Department of State Services have arrested Shafiu Usman, identified as the alleged mastermind behind the attack on the ECWA Church Ayetoro in Ayetoro where more than twenty worshippers were kidnapped on December 14, 2025.
Security sources confirmed that Usman was captured at a hideout in Gombe State, where he had reportedly been staying out of sight since the incident. During interrogation, he was said to have confessed to planning the Ayetoro church attack and carrying out other kidnapping operations across Niger State, Kwara State and Kogi State. He also reportedly admitted involvement in banditry and cattle rustling.
A security source stated that Usman claimed Ibrahim Battijo supplied him with arms and ammunition. He further linked himself to Ibrahim Dange Battijo, described as a bandit operating across Niger, Kwara, Kogi and Zamfara State. After the Kogi attack, Usman fled to Gombe in an effort to evade capture before being traced and arrested.
Security officials added that the arrest reflects the agency’s ongoing operations against banditry and terrorism, including recent actions in Gombe that disrupted arms trafficking networks, rescued kidnap victims and dismantled syndicates active across several states.
As of the time of this report, the DSS had not issued an official statement on the arrest.
