NEWS
Security Forces Eliminate Senior ISWAP Commander, Abdussamad Ohida in Ondo Forest, Foil Planned Attacks
A coordinated intelligence-led operation involving troops of the Nigerian Army, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and personnel of the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, has reportedly eliminated a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abdussamad Ohida, also known as Anwar, in Owo Forest, Ondo State.
Security sources said the operation was carried out at the weekend following intelligence that identified the location of the terrorist commander and other members of his group operating from a forest hideout.
According to the sources, Ohida and several other suspected members of the terrorist organisation were killed when the combined security team launched a surprise assault on the hideout.
Ohida was reportedly a former deputy to the ISWAP Central Nigeria commander, Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais, who was arrested by the DSS in 2023.
Following Ikrimah’s arrest, Ohida allegedly assumed a prominent leadership role, coordinating ISWAP activities across parts of the North-Central and southern regions of the country.
The intelligence that ultimately led security agencies to Ohida was reportedly obtained during the interrogation of Abu Uwais. Security sources said the information helped expose alleged plans by Ohida and his network to launch attacks against civilians during the forthcoming Yuletide period and create security disruptions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The intelligence was reportedly strengthened through collaboration and corroboration from United Kingdom intelligence partners, giving Nigerian security agencies greater insight into the activities and movements of the suspected ISWAP network.
Ohida was also allegedly linked to a series of violent attacks and operations targeting security formations and correctional facilities across the country.
Among the incidents attributed to him was the December 31, 2025 invasion of Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo, Ondo State, during which security sources said AK-47 rifles were stolen and the police facility was destroyed with explosives.
He was also allegedly connected to an attack on a military checkpoint along the Suleja–Zuba Road in Niger State in July 2022, as well as the July 2022 attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
Other operations allegedly linked to the ISWAP commander included the April 2022 attack on Ogaminana Police Station in Kogi State and the February 2022 assault on the Okene Area Command police station.
The reported killing of Ohida is being viewed by security authorities as a major intelligence and operational breakthrough in efforts to prevent the expansion of terrorist networks from Nigeria’s northern region into the North-Central and southern parts of the country.
His reported elimination could also represent a significant blow to the command structure of ISWAP’s Central Nigeria operations, particularly at a time when security agencies are intensifying intelligence gathering and counter-terrorism operations ahead of the 2026 festive season and the 2027 general elections.
The operation further highlights the growing role of inter-agency intelligence sharing and collaboration between conventional security forces, intelligence agencies and regional security networks in tracking terrorist cells operating outside their traditional strongholds.