How Security Agencies Stopped an Alleged ISWAP Plan to Strike During Festive Season

BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

A major breakthrough has been recorded in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism following the killing of a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abdussamad Ohida, during a coordinated security operation in Ondo State.

Ohida, widely known within terrorist circles as Anwar, was reportedly eliminated alongside several of his fighters during a joint operation carried out by the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun. The operation took place deep inside the Owo forest after intelligence reports pointed to fresh plans by the extremist group to launch attacks in parts of southern Nigeria.

Security sources disclosed that Ohida had risen to become one of ISWAP’s most influential figures after the arrest of the group’s Central Nigeria leader, Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais, by the DSS in 2023. Following that arrest, Ohida reportedly assumed responsibility for coordinating the group’s activities across parts of the North-Central region and extending its reach into southern Nigeria.

Investigators believe the slain commander played a critical role in several deadly attacks that have rattled the country over the years. According to security officials, information extracted during the interrogation of Abu Uwais exposed a wider terrorist network and revealed plans to target civilians during festive periods while also seeking to undermine Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

The intelligence reportedly triggered heightened surveillance and operational planning by Nigerian security agencies. Sources said the information was later verified by intelligence partners, including authorities from the United Kingdom, leading to a carefully coordinated mission that ultimately tracked down and neutralised Ohida and his associates.

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Officials linked the late commander to a string of high-profile attacks on security formations and government facilities. Among them was the December 31, 2025 assault on the Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo, Ondo State, where armed militants reportedly carted away eight AK-47 rifles before destroying parts of the facility with explosives.

Security records also connect him to the notorious July 11, 2022 attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, one of the most daring prison breaks in Nigeria’s history. He was further accused of masterminding the July 28, 2022 attack on a military checkpoint along the Suleja-Zuba Road in Niger State, as well as multiple assaults on police formations in Kogi State.

Among the attacks attributed to him were the deadly raid on Ogaminana Police Station in Adavi Local Government Area on April 23, 2022, which left five police officers dead, and the February 7, 2022 attack on the Okene Area Command headquarters. Security sources also alleged that he coordinated the Christmas Eve 2020 attack on a naval checkpoint in Okene, where two naval officers lost their lives.

Counterterrorism officials described Ohida as a key architect of ISWAP’s strategy to expand beyond its traditional strongholds in the North-East and establish operational bases in central and southern parts of the country. His death, they said, represents a major setback for the group's ambitions and command structure.

Security insiders believe the operation has significantly weakened the terror organisation’s ability to coordinate attacks and recruit operatives outside its established zones of influence. They also noted that the development comes only months after the reported killing of another prominent ISIS-linked leader, Abu Bilal al-Minuki, further compounding the pressure on extremist networks operating in Nigeria.

While security agencies continue to monitor potential threats, officials say the successful operation demonstrates growing collaboration among intelligence services and security forces in dismantling terrorist cells before they can carry out planned attacks.

The elimination of Ohida is being viewed as one of the most significant counterterrorism successes in recent months, with authorities expressing confidence that it will disrupt ISWAP’s expansion plans and reduce the threat posed by the group across several regions of the country.