Troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces have neutralised a senior Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, leader, Abdussamad Ohida, during a joint security operation in Owo Forest, Ondo State.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Friday during a monthly operational briefing with Defence Correspondents, where he presented the military’s operational achievements across various theatres of operation.
Onoja said the operation was conducted on October 2, 2026, by a combined team of security forces targeting terrorist elements operating in the forest.
According to him, some terrorists were neutralised during the operation, including Ohida, who was identified as the deputy to the ISWAP leader in Central Nigeria.
He explained that Ohida had assumed leadership of the group following the arrest of its former leader by the Department of State Services, DSS, in 2023.
The Defence spokesman disclosed that the deceased terrorist leader was involved in planning large-scale attacks against civilians in several states during the forthcoming festive season.
He described Ohida’s neutralisation as a major operational breakthrough, noting that it would deal a significant blow to ISWAP’s efforts to expand its operational presence in Nigeria.
The operation forms part of the Armed Forces’ sustained efforts to dismantle terrorist networks, disrupt their leadership structures and prevent planned attacks against innocent citizens, particularly ahead of the festive season.