The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five suspects, including two Nigeriens, alleged to be arms couriers supplying gunmen who attacked St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village, Niger State, on November 21, 2025, and abducted nearly 300 students and staff.
Security sources said a large cache of weapons was recovered from the suspects, including 15 AK rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition.
According to the sources, one of the suspects, Yusuf Mohammed, also known as Bature, is on the list of wanted members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), commonly known as Boko Haram. He was arrested alongside an accomplice, Mubarak Ibrahim, on the Zaria–Kaduna highway while en route to collect arms for their commanders.
A follow-up operation reportedly led to the arrest of another suspect, identified as Goni Ibrahim, an international arms courier from the Diffa Region of the Niger Republic. He was arrested alongside his accomplice, Tukur Sani.
The suspects were intercepted in a blue vehicle, with security operatives recovering 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines, and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed in the car.
In a separate development, another alleged member of the arms supply network, identified as Alhaji Adamu, also known as Gado Banufe, was arrested in Yauri, Kebbi State, days later. He was said to be responsible for supplying weapons across the Kebbi axis.
The sources said preliminary investigations indicated that the five suspects formed part of an arms supply network that supported the gunmen who carried out the November 2025 attack on the Catholic boarding school.
In the early hours of November 21, armed men on motorcycles invaded the Catholic primary and secondary boarding schools in Papiri, rounding up students and teachers at gunpoint.
While about 50 students escaped during the attack, more than 250 were taken into the Kainji Lake National Park forest.
After weeks of search operations, the Federal Government and the Niger State Government confirmed on December 21, 2025, that all remaining 130 captives had been rescued and safely reunited with their families, with officials stating that no pupil remained in captivity.
