DSS Arrests 5 Suspects, Including 2 Nigeriens, Over Papiri School Kidnap, Recovers 15 AK Rifles, 1,434 Rounds of Ammunition

Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS) has apprehended five individuals suspected of being arms couriers, with two of the detainees being foreign nationals from Niger Republic. These arrests are directly linked to the mass kidnapping of nearly 300 students and staff from St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri village, Niger State, which occurred on November 21, 2025.

Credible security sources revealed that the operation yielded a significant cache of weapons, including 15 AK-47 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition. Among the arrested are Yusuf Mohammed, also known as Bature, who is reportedly on a wanted list for Boko Haram, and his alleged accomplice, Mubarak Ibrahim. They were intercepted on the Zaria-Kaduna Highway while en route to collect an arms consignment for their commanders.

A subsequent operation led to the arrest of Goni Ibrahim, identified as an international arms courier from Niger's Diffa Region, along with his accomplice Tukur Sani. The syndicate's network extended to Alhaji Adamu, also known as Gado Banufe, who was apprehended in Yauri, Kebbi State, for supplying arms in that area. Preliminary investigations confirm that these five men acted as arms couriers for the gunmen responsible for the November 2025 attack on the Catholic boarding school.

The abduction saw dozens of gunmen on motorcycles storm the school, forcing students and teachers at gunpoint into the Kainji Lake Reserve forest. While approximately 50 children managed to escape during the initial chaos, over 250 were marched away. Fortunately, by December 21, 2025, all remaining 130 captives were confirmed rescued and safely returned by federal and Niger state officials, with no pupils left in captivity.