Two more Owo church attackers arrested – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters on Thursday, said it has arrested two more assailants that carried out the attack on St Francis Xavier Church, Owo, Ondo State, on June 5.

The attack left over 40 worshippers dead while scores of others sustained different injuries.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, on Tuesday during an interaction with some journalists said four of the attackers had been arrested.

Irabor, who said the arrest was made possible through a combined operation with the SSS personnel, named those arrested as Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (a.k.a Bin Malik), Momoh Otohu Abubakar, Aliyu Yusuf Itopa and Auwal Ishaq Onimisi.

The CDS said the attackers, who have links with ISWAP terrorist group, were arrested on August 1 at Eika, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Barely a few hours after the announcement of the arrest of four of the attackers by the CDS, two more arrests have also been made.

A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, on Thursday, said the arrest was carried out at Omialafara (Omulafa), Ose LGA, Ondo State.

According to the statement, those arrested were 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, a part of the statement noted.

Akpor noted the arrests were made through a collaborative effort by military and SSS personnel.