A senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abdussamad Ohida, also known as Anwar, has reportedly been killed during a joint security operation in Owo Forest, Ondo State.
Security sources said the operation was conducted by a combined team of Nigerian Army troops, personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun.
According to the sources, Ohida and several other suspected members of the terrorist group were killed during a surprise operation targeting their hideout in the forest at the weekend.
Ohida was reportedly the former deputy to ISWAP’s 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 responsibility for coordinating ISWAP activities across parts of the North-Central and southern regions of the country.
Security sources said intelligence obtained during the interrogation of Abu Uwais helped investigators identify alleged plans attributed to Ohida to attack civilians during the forthcoming Yuletide period and disrupt the 2027 general elections.
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The intelligence was reportedly corroborated by international intelligence partners, including agencies in the United Kingdom. Ohida was also accused of involvement in several attacks on security formations.
Among the incidents allegedly linked to him was the December 31, 2025 attack on the Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo, where attackers reportedly stole AK-47 rifles and destroyed parts of the facility with explosives.
Security sources also linked him to attacks on a military checkpoint along the Suleja-Zuba Road in Niger State and the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, both in July 2022.
Other attacks allegedly attributed to him include the assault on Ogaminana Police Station in Kogi State in April 2022 and the attack on the Okene Area Command police station in February 2022.
The reported killing of Ohida is expected to disrupt the leadership structure of ISWAP and potentially affect the group’s efforts to establish or expand operational networks in parts of central and southern Nigeria.
However, independent confirmation of the reported operation and the identities of those killed was not immediately available from the security agencies.
