The Department of State Services (DSS) has recaptured Abdulazeez Obadaki, a senior commander of the Ansaru terrorist group, believed to have masterminded the August 7, 2012 mass shooting at a Deeper Life Bible Church near Okene, Kogi State.
Obadaki, widely known as “Bomboy,” was taken into custody on Friday, 14 November 2025, ending more than three years of evasion.
Security sources described the arrest as the result of a well-planned intelligence operation carried out at dawn.
In the 2012 attack, 19 worshippers, including the church pastor, were killed when three gunmen stormed the service with AK-47 rifles, leaving survivors in shock.
Authorities say Obadaki’s criminal trail did not end there.
He is also linked to the daylight robbery of five banks in Uromi, Edo State, a violent spree that left policemen and civilians dead and saw hundreds of millions of naira stolen.
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Though previously in custody, he escaped during the July 2022 jailbreak at Kuje Custodial Centre, which he reportedly helped orchestrate after being transferred from Kabba Custodial Centre.
His recapture comes just two months after the DSS arraigned five suspects in the 2022 Owo Catholic Church attack, part of what officials describe as a renewed push to dismantle terror networks across the country.
Hopefully, Obadaki’s interrogation could unlock new leads, potentially leading to further arrests and helping authorities better understand Ansaru’s operations.