February 27, 2026 | News | SUNTV Global Channel
Operatives of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested an alleged kidnapping kingpin, Shafiu Usman, believed to be behind the December 14, 2025 attack on an ECWA Church in Ayetoro, Kogi State.
SUNTV Global Channel gathered that the suspect was tracked and captured at a hideout in Gombe State following weeks of intelligence surveillance.
Security sources disclosed that during interrogation, Usman allegedly confessed to coordinating the church abduction, where over 20 worshippers were kidnapped during a service. He was also said to have admitted involvement in multiple kidnapping operations spanning Niger, Kwara, and Kogi states.
According to insiders, the suspect identified one Ibrahim Dange Battijo — described as a notorious bandit leader — as a key collaborator who reportedly supplied arms and ammunition used in the operations.
“Shafiu confessed to participating in kidnapping, banditry, and cattle rustling activities across several states,” a security source revealed. “He also confirmed receiving weapons support from Battijo.”
Investigators further revealed that Usman fled to Gombe shortly after the Ayetoro church attack in a bid to evade arrest before DSS operatives eventually tracked him down.
The 2025 church abduction triggered widespread outrage across Kogi State, with families of victims demanding swift government action. Some abducted worshippers were later freed, although authorities have not disclosed details surrounding their release.
Security officials say the arrest marks a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle inter-state kidnapping and banditry networks operating across Nigeria’s North-Central and North-West regions.
