Abdussamad Ohida, an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) leader whom security sources linked to attacks on police formations and a naval checkpoint in Kogi State, has been killed during a joint operation in Owo, Ondo State.
Ohida, also known as Anwar, reportedly died alongside other members of the group during the operation involving the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS) and Amotekun.
Security sources accused him of coordinating several attacks in Kogi, including assaults on Ogaminana Police Station in Adavi Local Government Area, the Okene Area Command and a naval checkpoint in Okene.
Security sources link Ohida to deadly Kogi attacks
According to the sources, Ohida was involved in the April 23, 2022 attack on Ogaminana Police Station, which reportedly claimed the lives of five police officers.
They also attributed to him the February 7, 2022 assault on the Okene Area Command and the December 24, 2020 attack on a naval checkpoint in Okene, where two naval officers reportedly died.
The sources described him as a key figure in the planning and coordination of ISWAP operations across parts of North Central and southern Nigeria.
His alleged involvement in the Kogi attacks formed part of a wider account of his activities provided by security sources following the Ondo operation.
In a separate security development, The Bureau Journal previously reported that troops and local vigilantes arrested two suspected terrorists during a patrol in Ajaokuta, Kogi State.
Intelligence on planned attacks preceded Ondo raid
The sources said the operation against Ohida followed intelligence that he was preparing fresh attacks on civilians in southern Nigeria, particularly during the forthcoming festive season.
They said information obtained following the arrest of Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais, helped security agencies identify the alleged plans.
Ikrimah, described as Ohida’s former superior and the leader of ISWAP’s Central Nigeria operations, was arrested by the DSS in 2023.
According to the sources, Ohida subsequently assumed a leadership role in the group’s activities across parts of North Central and southern Nigeria.
One source said intelligence partners in the United Kingdom corroborated information about the planned attacks and supported the operation.
The development follows an earlier police warning over possible terrorist mobilisation and surveillance of schools, places of worship and NYSC camps.
Other attacks attributed to the commander
Beyond Kogi, security sources linked Ohida to the December 31, 2025 attack on Ipele Divisional Police Station in Ondo State, where attackers reportedly stole eight AK-47 rifles and destroyed the facility with explosives.
They also accused him of involvement in a July 2022 attack on a military checkpoint along the Suleja–Zuba Road and the July 2022 assault on Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
The sources described his death as a disruption to ISWAP’s leadership and operational network, particularly its efforts to expand across central and southern Nigeria.
The number of other fighters killed in the Ondo operation was not specified.
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