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The Defence Headquarters has given details of the suspects arrested in connection with the June 5 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church Owo in Ondo State.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, had on Tuesday, at a parley with newsmen, revealed the names of the terrorists who masterminded the Owo attack.
The Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, in a statement, yesterday, said the clarification became necessary because of the conflicting feedback on the earlier announcement.
Akpor said that Irabor had confirmed the arrest of four suspects through the collaborative efforts of the military and DSS personnel at Eika, in Okehi Local Government Area, Kogi on August 1.
“Those arrested included Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (a.k.a Bin Malik), Momoh Otohu Abubakar, Aliyu Yusuf Itopa and Auwal Ishaq Onimisi.
“The Defence Chief said preliminary investigation revealed that Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza was the mastermind of the terror attack on the Owo Catholic Church as well as the attack on a police station in Adavi Local Government Area, Kogi State on June 23, 2022, during which a policeman was killed and weapons carted away.”
Akpor said Irabor also mentioned the arrest of another terrorist, Idris Ojo, aged 32, who was apprehended at Ayetoro Osi, Ondo State, through the combined effort of military and DSS personnel on August 7.
“Idris Ojo, the CDS said, was one of the suspected ISWAP terrorists who escaped from the Kuje Medium Correctional Centre on July 5, 2022.
“The CDS also mentioned that Ojo was arrested alongside Jimoh Ibrahim, 39 years, a sympathiser of the terrorist group, who accommodated him.
“The CDS further revealed that the arrest of Idris Ojo was crucial as he, along with others, were already planning terrorists’ attacks against some selected targets, in order to create fear amongst the citizenry aimed at discrediting the government,” he said.
