Joint Army, DSS, Amotekun Operation Kills Senior ISWAP Commander in Ondo Forest

A joint security operation involving the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, has killed a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abdussamad Ohida, also known as Anwar.

Ohida was reportedly eliminated during an intelligence-led operation carried out over the weekend in a forest in Owo, Ondo State.

Security sources said the operation followed intelligence indicating that the ISWAP commander was planning major terrorist attacks in parts of southern Nigeria.

According to the sources, Ohida was killed alongside several other members of the terrorist group after security operatives launched a surprise assault on their hideout.

The sources said Ohida had previously served as deputy to the ISWAP Central Nigeria leader, Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais, who was arrested by the DSS in 2023.

Security sources said intelligence obtained during the interrogation of Abu Uwais helped the DSS uncover Ohida’s alleged plans to attack civilians during the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations.

One of the sources said intelligence gathered by the DSS was further corroborated by international partners, including security agencies in the United Kingdom, before the operation was carried out.

“The plan was to attack civilians during the festive period and ultimately disrupt the 2027 general elections,” the source said.

The source also linked Ohida to several major attacks on security formations in Nigeria.

He was allegedly responsible for the December 31, 2025, attack on the Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo, Ondo State, during which eight AK-47 rifles were reportedly stolen before explosives were used to destroy the facility.

Ohida was also accused of involvement in the July 28, 2022, attack on a military checkpoint along the Suleja-Zuba Road in Niger State, an incident in which soldiers, security personnel and civilians were reportedly killed.

Other attacks allegedly attributed to him include the July 11, 2022 assault on the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja; the April 23, 2022 attack on Ogaminana Police Station in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, where five police officers were killed; and the February 7, 2022 attack on the Okene Area Command Police Station.

The source further alleged that Ohida planned and carried out the December 24, 2020 attack on a naval checkpoint in Okene, Kogi State, which resulted in the death of two naval officers.

The latest operation is being viewed by security officials as a major setback to ISWAP’s efforts to establish and expand its presence in central and southern Nigeria.

A security source said the killing of Ohida had disrupted an important part of the group’s leadership and operational network.

“Ohida’s elimination, coming a few months after the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bilal al-Minuki, is a very big blow to ISWAP’s efforts to expand its operational presence in Nigeria and underscores the growing efficiency of our security services,” the source said.

The operation also highlights the increasing reliance of Nigerian security agencies on intelligence-sharing and coordinated operations to identify and dismantle terrorist networks before they can execute planned attacks.

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