ISWAP Commander Abdussamad Ohida Reportedly K!lled In Ondo Forest Amid Plot To Att∆ck Southern Nigeria
ISWAP Commander Abdussamad Ohida Reportedly Killed In Ondo Forest Amid Plot To Attack Southern Nigeria
It was reported that the agencies had obtained information about plans by the ISWAP commander to carry out attacks on civilians during the forthcoming festive season.
Asenior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abdussamad Ohida, also known as Anwar, has reportedly been killed during a coordinated security operation in a forest in Owo, Ondo State, amid intelligence that he was preparing attacks in southern Nigeria.
According to counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, Ohida was killed alongside several other members of the terrorist group when operatives of the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS) and the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, stormed the group’s hideout at the weekend.
It was reported that the agencies had obtained information about plans by the ISWAP commander to carry out attacks on civilians during the forthcoming festive season.
ISWAP COMMANDER
Security sources said that the planned attacks were also allegedly linked to an attempt to destabilise the country ahead of the 2027 general elections, according to Makama.
Ohida became a key figure within ISWAP’s operations in parts of North-Central and southern Nigeria after the arrest of his former superior, Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais.
Ikrimah, identified as the former ISWAP Central Nigeria leader, was arrested by the DSS in 2023.
Sources told the security analyst that intelligence obtained during Ikrimah’s interrogation subsequently helped security agencies track Ohida and uncover his alleged operational plans.
One of the security sources said intelligence from the United Kingdom was also used to corroborate information gathered by Nigerian authorities before the operation was launched.
“The plan was to attack civilians during the festive period and ultimately disrupt the 2027 general elections. This Intelligence was corroborated by intelligence partners from the United Kingdom, who supported the elimination operation,” the source was quoted as saying.
Ohida was also accused of being behind a series of deadly attacks targeting security formations in Nigeria.
The sources linked him to the December 31, 2025 invasion of the Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo, Ondo State, during which eight AK-47 rifles were reportedly stolen before the station was destroyed with an explosive.
He was also allegedly involved in the July 28, 2022 attack on a military checkpoint along the Suleja-Zuba Road in Niger State, where soldiers, security personnel and civilians were killed.
Other attacks attributed to the deceased ISWAP commander include the July 11, 2022 attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, the April 23, 2022 assault on Ogaminana Police Station in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, and the February 7, 2022 attack on the Okene Area Command police station.
The security source further accused Ohida of masterminding the December 24, 2020 attack on a naval checkpoint in Okene, Kogi State, which resulted in the deaths of two naval officers.
“The terrorist planned and executed the 24th December, 2020 attack on a Naval checkpoint in Okene, Kogi State, which resulted in the death of two naval officers, not to mention the several attacks he launched across parts of the country,” the source added.
The latest operation comes months after the reported killing of another prominent Islamic State-linked commander, Abu Bilal al-Minuki, in a separate security operation.
Security officials described Ohida’s death as a major setback for ISWAP’s efforts to establish and strengthen an operational network in central and southern Nigeria.
“We may not immediately realize it, but the elimination of Abdussamad Ohida represents a significant disruption to ISWAP’s leadership structure, operational network and expansion efforts in central and southern Nigeria.
“Ohida’s elimination, coming a few months after the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bilal al-Minuki, is a very big blow to ISWAP’s efforts to expand its operational presence in Nigeria, and underscores the growing efficiency of our security services,” the source was quoted as saying.
