The Department of State Services has taken five suspects into custody, among them two nationals from Niger Republic, accused of moving weapons to the gang that stormed St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, last November. That attack, which left nearly 300 students and staff kidnapped, has now led authorities to a major arms supply network.
Security sources say the arrests yielded a significant haul, including 15 AK rifles and over 1,400 rounds of live ammunition. One of the men, Yusuf Mohammed, also known as Bature, is a wanted figure tied to the Boko Haram terror group. He and his partner, Mubarak Ibrahim, were picked up on the Zaria-Kaduna highway while reportedly en route to collect weapons for their commanders.
A follow-up operation netted Goni Ibrahim, an international arms courier from Niger Republic’s Diffa region, along with his accomplice Tukur Sani. They were found in a blue car packed with 15 AK-103 rifles, magazines, and ammunition. Days later, another syndicate member, Alhaji Adamu, alias Gado Banufe, was arrested in Yauri, Kebbi State, for supplying arms in that area.
Investigations have linked all five men directly to the arms supply chain that equipped the attackers. The raid on the school happened in the early hours of November 21, 2025, when dozens of gunmen on motorcycles rounded up students and teachers. Around 50 children escaped in the chaos, but over 250 were marched into the Kainji Lake Reserve forest. After more than a month, the government confirmed the rescue of the last 130 captives on December 21, 2025, with no students left in captivity.
