A joint intelligence-led operation by the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Western Nigeria Security Network, Amotekun, has killed a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, Abdussamad Ohida, in the forests of Owo, Ondo State.
Security sources said Ohida, also known as Anwar, was neutralised over the weekend alongside several other fighters during a surprise raid on a terrorist hideout.
Intelligence agencies said the operation foiled an imminent wave of large-scale attacks being planned for southern states ahead of the festive period and the 2027 general elections.
Intelligence briefings indicated that Ohida previously served as second-in-command to Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais, the former leader of ISWAP’s Central Nigeria network. Ikrimah was apprehended by the DSS in 2023.
After Ikrimah’s arrest, Ohida assumed regional leadership. He coordinated operational planning and logistics across parts of North-Central and Southern Nigeria.
Interrogations of detained operatives, corroborated by intelligence partners from the United Kingdom who supported the tracking operation, linked Ohida to several high-profile attacks in recent years.
Security authorities said Ohida masterminded the December 31, 2025 raid on the Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo. During that attack, the assailants stole eight AK-47 rifles before destroying the facility with explosives.
He was also linked to the July 2022 attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja and the July 2022 assault on a military checkpoint along the Suleja–Zuba Road in Niger State.
The authorities further linked him to violent assaults in Kogi State. These include the April 2022 raid on the Ogaminana Police Station in Adavi Local Government Area, where five police officers were killed, the February 2022 attack on the Okene Area Command, and a December 2020 assault on a naval checkpoint in Okene that claimed the lives of two naval personnel.
Defence officials said the elimination of Ohida deals a severe blow to ISWAP’s operational continuity and its strategy to expand its footprint into southern Nigeria.
The operation comes shortly after the elimination of ISIS leader Abu Bilal al-Minuki. Security analysts described both developments as a significant milestone in degrading terrorist command structures across the country.
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