A joint security operation has reportedly killed a senior Islamic State West Africa Province commander, Abdussamad Ohida, alias Anwar, in Owo forest, Ondo State.
Ohida was said to have been eliminated during an intelligence-led operation involving troops of the Nigerian Army, operatives of the Department of State Services and personnel of the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun.
Security sources said the operation, conducted at the weekend, also killed several members of the terrorist group who were hiding in the forest.
Ohida was reportedly a former deputy to ISWAP Central Nigeria leader, Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais, who was arrested by the DSS in 2023.
Following Ikrimah’s arrest, Ohida allegedly assumed a leadership role in ISWAP operations across parts of the North-Central and southern regions.
The sources alleged that intelligence obtained during the interrogation of Ikrimah helped security agencies uncover plans by Ohida to launch attacks during the forthcoming Yuletide and disrupt the 2027 general elections.
The intelligence was reportedly corroborated by international partners, including the United Kingdom, before the operation was launched.
Ohida was also allegedly linked to several attacks on security formations and personnel in Kogi, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory.
These reportedly included the December 2025 attack on Ipele Divisional Police Station in Owo, where eight AK-47 rifles were stolen and the station destroyed with explosives.
He was also allegedly responsible for attacks on a military checkpoint along the Suleja-Zuba Road, Kuje Correctional Centre and police formations in Ogaminana and Okene.
Security sources described his death as a major setback for ISWAP’s efforts to establish an operational foothold in central and southern Nigeria.
They said the operation had disrupted the group’s leadership structure and network in the region.
