A coordinated operation by the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun) has eliminated Abdussamad Ohida, a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), during a raid on a forest hideout in Owo, Ondo State, at the weekend.
Security sources confirmed that Ohida, also known as Anwar, died alongside several other group members when the joint team launched a surprise assault on their location. At the time of the operation, he was reportedly in the advanced stages of planning attacks across parts of southern Nigeria, according to the Guardian.
Ohida's Rise Within ISWAP
Ohida had served as deputy to Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais, who led ISWAP's Central Nigeria operations until his arrest by the DSS in 2023. Following that arrest, Ohida stepped into a leadership role, taking charge of planning, coordinating, and carrying out terrorist operations across North-Central and southern Nigeria, according to the sources.
Intelligence gathered during the interrogation of Abu Uwais reportedly exposed Ohida's plan to attack civilians during the forthcoming Christmas period and to disrupt the 2027 elections. One source said the intelligence was independently confirmed by partners in the United Kingdom, who also supported the elimination operation.
Attacks Linked to Abdussamad Ohida
Security sources attributed a string of attacks across Nigeria to Ohida. These include the December 31, 2025, attack on the Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo, Ondo State, where eight AK-47 rifles were stolen before the station was destroyed with explosives.
He was also linked to the July 28, 2022, ambush on a military checkpoint along the Suleja-Zuba Road in Niger State, which left soldiers, officers, and civilians dead, as well as the July 11, 2022, assault on Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
Earlier attacks attributed to him include the April 23, 2022, raid on Ogaminana Police Station in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, which killed five police officers; the February 7, 2022, attack on the Okene Area Command police station; and the December 24, 2020, attack on a naval checkpoint in Okene, Kogi State, in which two naval officers were killed.
Blow to ISWAP Expansion
A second source said Ohida's death would significantly weaken ISWAP's command structure and slow its efforts to expand into 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 said.
In a related development, armed groups, criminal kidnappers, and terrorists abducted 91 health workers and killed 15 others across 101 separate attacks on Nigerian healthcare facilities between 2023 and 2025, according to a new international report. The figures come from the 'Care in the Crosshairs: Violence Against Health Care in Conflict 2025' report, published by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, with data compiled using Insecurity Insight's global monitoring system.
