The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced the rearrest of Abdulazeez Obadaki, a notorious Ansaru terrorist who was among the 879 inmates that escaped from the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja in July 2022. Obadaki had been on the run for over two years following the deadly, coordinated external attack on the prison by members of Islamic State-linked terrorist groups, with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) claiming responsibility.

Obadaki is alleged to be a key mastermind behind multiple deadly attacks across Nigeria. These include coordinated raids on commercial banks in Uromi, Edo State, which occurred in February 2022, and a fatal shooting at Deeper Life College in Okene, Kogi State, also carried out in 2022. Some security sources further allege that Obadaki masterminded the August 7, 2012, mass killing of Christian worshippers at a Deeper Life Bible Church near Okene in Kogi State, where at least 19 worshippers were killed. The February 2022 bank robberies in Uromi resulted in the deaths of several policemen and bank customers, with hundreds of millions of naira reportedly stolen. He is also believed to have attacked a police station in the Auchi area.

The Kuje jailbreak in July 2022 saw over 800 inmates, including Boko Haram suspects, escape the facility. While the then Minister of Defence claimed 64 Boko Haram members escaped, security sources indicated that over 200 members of the group were unaccounted for. The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) released the names and photographs of 48 Boko Haram terrorists who had been held at the prison. Obadaki's escape from Kuje was not his first; he had previously been arrested and transferred from the Kabba Custodial Centre in June 2022, later confessing to orchestrating the Kuje jailbreak.

This rearrest comes nearly three months after the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, announced the arrest of two top leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, Mahmud Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Malam Mamuda). These arrests, resulting from intelligence-led operations between May and July, decapitated the leadership of the Al-Qaeda-linked group and targeted enclaves in and around Kainji National Park, with links extending into the Republic of Benin. Ribadu linked these leaders to multiple attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, an assault on a Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Musa Uba (Magajin Garin Daura), and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.

The DSS's recapture of Obadaki signals renewed momentum in its counter-terrorism efforts, with recent breakthroughs in apprehending criminal elements nationwide and accelerating the prosecution of arrested suspects. Amidst these efforts, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has reaffirmed the Nigerian military’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety of citizens. During an operational visit to the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma Sector 2/213 Forward Operating Base in Katsina, Air Marshal Aneke pledged a relentless campaign against terrorists and bandits, vowing to intensify coordinated intelligence-led operations to track and neutralize criminal elements. He emphasized the federal government's unprecedented support through modern platforms, advanced weaponry, and enhanced professional training, urging personnel to remain agile, innovative, and precise in confronting security threats. The CAS stated that the nation counts on the armed forces to restore peace and reclaim all challenged territories, ensuring that every mission reflects the Nigerian Air Force's core values of discipline, service, and patriotism.