The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five suspects, including two foreign nationals, over their alleged involvement in supplying arms to gunmen responsible for the abduction of nearly 300 students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village, Niger State, in November 2025.
Security sources disclosed that the suspects were apprehended during a series of intelligence-led operations that also led to the recovery of a large cache of weapons, including 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines, and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.
According to the sources, two of the suspects, Yusuf Mohammed, also known as Bature, and Mubarak Ibrahim, were arrested along the Zaria-Kaduna highway while allegedly travelling to collect a consignment of arms for their commanders. Mohammed was said to be on the list of wanted members of the Boko Haram terrorist group.
Further investigations reportedly led DSS operatives to arrest Goni Ibrahim, described as an international arms courier from the Diffa Region of Niger Republic, alongside his accomplice, Tukur Sani. The pair were allegedly intercepted in a vehicle where the weapons and ammunition were concealed.
The sources added that another suspect, identified as Alhaji Adamu, also known as Gado Banufe, was later arrested in Yauri, Kebbi State. He is believed to be part of a network supplying arms to criminal groups operating in the North-West and other parts of the country.
Preliminary investigations, according to security officials, indicate that the five suspects acted as arms couriers for the gunmen who attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School on November 21, 2025.
During the attack, dozens of armed men on motorcycles reportedly stormed the Catholic boarding school in the early hours of the day, abducting students and teachers at gunpoint. While about 50 pupils escaped during the chaos, more than 250 others were taken into the Kainji Lake National Park area.
The mass abduction sparked nationwide concern and prompted extensive security operations. On December 21, 2025, federal and Niger State authorities announced the rescue and safe return of the remaining 130 captives, confirming that no student remained in captivity.
Security agencies have continued investigations into the activities of the suspected arms trafficking network, with efforts ongoing to dismantle criminal supply chains linked to terrorism, kidnapping, and other violent crimes across the country.
