A joint intelligence-led operation involving the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS) and the Western Nigeria Security Network, known as Amotekun, has killed a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Abdussamad Ohida, in Ondo State.
Ohida, also known as Anwar, was eliminated during a surprise operation carried out over the weekend at an ISWAP hideout in the Owo forest area of Ondo State. Security sources said several other members of the terrorist group were also killed during the operation.
According to the sources, Ohida had been preparing to launch major terrorist attacks in parts of southern Nigeria. He was said to have previously served as deputy to the ISWAP Central Nigeria leader, Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais, who was arrested by the DSS in 2023.
Following Ikrimah’s arrest, Ohida reportedly took over the leadership of ISWAP operations across parts of the North-Central and southern regions of the country. Security sources said he subsequently became involved in the planning, coordination and execution of several attacks.
The sources added that information obtained from the interrogation of Abu Uwais helped the DSS uncover plans by Ohida to attack civilians during the forthcoming Yuletide period.
One of the security sources said the planned attacks were intended not only to target civilians during the festive season but also to create instability ahead of the 2027 general elections. The intelligence was reportedly corroborated by security partners in the United Kingdom, who supported the operation that led to Ohida’s elimination.
The ISWAP commander was also linked to several previous attacks on security formations and personnel. According to the source, Ohida planned and executed the December 31, 2025 invasion of Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo, Ondo State, where eight AK-47 rifles were reportedly taken before the station was destroyed with an explosive.
He was also accused of involvement in the July 28, 2022 attack on a military checkpoint along the Suleja–Zuba Road in Niger State, where several soldiers, security officers and civilians were killed.
The source further linked Ohida to the July 11, 2022 attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, as well as the April 23, 2022 attack on Ogaminana Police Station in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, which resulted in the death of five police officers.
Ohida was also blamed for the February 7, 2022 attack on the Okene Area Command Police Station and the December 24, 2020 attack on a naval checkpoint in Okene, Kogi State. The latter attack reportedly resulted in the death of two naval officers.
The security source described Ohida’s elimination as a major setback for ISWAP, particularly its efforts to establish and expand its operational network in central and southern Nigeria.
The source said the operation had disrupted the group’s leadership structure and its plans for further expansion, adding that the development demonstrated the increasing effectiveness of Nigeria’s security agencies and their intelligence-sharing partnerships.
Ohida’s death comes months after the reported killing of ISIS leader Abu Bilal al-Minuki, another development described by the source as a significant blow to efforts by Islamic State-linked groups to strengthen their presence and operations in Nigeria.
SOURCE:VANGUARD
