A combined intelligence-led operation involving troops of the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), and personnel from the Western Nigeria Security Network, known as Amotekun, has successfully eliminated a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Abdussamad Ohida, in the forests of Owo, Ondo State. Nigeriantourism packages
Security sources confirmed that Ohida, also known as Anwar, was neutralized over the weekend alongside several other fighters during a surprise raid on a terrorist hideout.
The operation preempted what intelligence agencies described as an imminent wave of large-scale attacks targeting southern states ahead of the upcoming festive period and the 2027 general elections.
According to intelligence briefings, Ohida previously served as second-in-command to Abu Ikrimah (also known as Abu Uwais), the former leader of ISWAP’s Central Nigeria network who was apprehended by the DSS in 2023. Nigeriantourism packages
Following Ikrimah’s arrest, Ohida assumed regional leadership, coordinating 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, revealed that Ohida masterminded several high-profile attacks over recent years.
These included the December 31, 2025 raid on the Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo where attackers stole eight AK-47 rifles before leveling the facility with explosives as well as 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.
Security authorities also linked Ohida to multiple violent assaults in Kogi State, including the April 2022 raid on the Ogaminana Police Station in Adavi local government area that left five police officers dead, 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.
Defense officials emphasized that eliminating Ohida delivers a severe blow to ISWAP’s operational continuity and its ongoing strategy to expand its footprint into southern Nigeria. Nigeriantourism packages
The success follows closely on the heels of the elimination of ISIS leader Abu Bilal al-Minuki, marking what security analysts view as a significant milestone in degrading terrorist command structures across the country.