A sixth suspect has been arrested nearly four years after the deadly attack during Pentecost Sunday Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church in Owo, Nigeria, that left 40 people dead.
According to a Feb. 25 report from Agenzia Fides, the suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, was arrested in Edo State after being on the run since the June 5, 2022, massacre. An arrest warrant had been issued in connection with the attack, which killed dozens of worshipers and injured more than 160.
Five other suspects were previously taken into custody and are standing trial. Nigerian authorities have linked the attack to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), an extremist group that has carried out numerous attacks in parts of the country.
The attack raised concerns about extremist violence spreading beyond northeastern Nigeria, where such attacks had largely been concentrated for the past decade, according to the outlet.
As Zeale News has previously reported, violence targeting Christians in Nigeria has persisted for years, resulting in thousands of deaths and the destruction of homes and churches.
More recently, nine Catholics were kidnapped during prayer Feb. 6, with a priest and 10 others taken the following day.
In October 2025, President Trump named Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing ongoing religious violence and persecution.
“When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide),” the President wrote in a Truth Social Post, “something must be done!”