The Department of State Services (DSS) has successfully recaptured Abdulazeez Obadaki, a top commander of the Ansaru terrorist group, believed to have masterminded the August 7, 2012 mass shooting at Deeper Life Bible Church near Okene, Kogi State.

The attack claimed the lives of at least 19 worshippers, including the pastor, and left several others injured after three armed men opened fire on congregants with AK-47 rifles.

Security sources revealed that Obadaki, who also orchestrated a daylight attack on five commercial banks in Uromi, Edo State, was previously arrested but escaped during the July 2022 jailbreak at Kuje Custodial Centre. The suspected terrorist reportedly admitted to planning the jailbreak following his transfer from Kabba Custodial Centre in June 2022.

After more than three years on the run, DSS operatives recaptured Obadaki, also known as “Bomboy,” on Friday morning through a well-coordinated intelligence operation.

This arrest comes just two months after the DSS arraigned five suspects linked to the 2022 attack on a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. During the February 2022 bank robberies in Uromi, Edo State, multiple policemen and bank customers were killed, and hundreds of millions of Naira were reportedly stolen.

The DSS, under its new leadership, has recently recorded a series of successes in apprehending terrorists and criminal elements across the country, fast-tracking the trial of arrested suspects to ensure justice.