DSS nabs five suspects over attack on Niger Catholic school

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five suspects allegedly linked to the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village, Niger State.

The school came under attack in November when gunmen abducted 315 people, including 303 students and 12 teachers.

About 50 pupils reportedly escaped within 24 hours of the incident, while the remaining victims regained their freedom in batches over the following weeks.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, those arrested include a wanted Boko Haram member and two Nigerien nationals suspected of supplying weapons to the gunmen involved in the attack.

The report stated that security operatives are continuing investigations to uncover other members of the network and determine the full extent of their involvement in the kidnapping operation.

The DSS has not yet issued an official statement on the arrests.

“Recovered from the men were a large cache of arms, including 15 AK rifles and 1434 rounds of live ammunition,” Makama said.

“According to credible security sources, one Yusuf Mohammed aka Bature, who is on the list of wanted members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad aka Boko Haram terror organization and his accomplice, Mubarak Ibrahim were arrested on the Zaria Kaduna highway while on their way to collect a consignment of arms for their commanders.”

The publication reported that a follow-up operation led to the arrest of Goni Ibrahim, an international arms courier from the Diffa region of Niger Republic. Ibrahim was arrested alongside Tukur Sani, who was identified as his accomplice.

Security sources told Makama that concealed inside an unnamed blue vehicle used by the suspects were 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.

“Days after the arrests, added the security sources, yet another member of the arms courier syndicate, identified as Alhaji Adamu aka Gado Banufe, known to be supplying arms around the Kebbi axis, was arrested in Yauri, Kebbi State,” Makama said.

“The security sources disclosed that preliminary investigations established that the five men served as arms couriers to the gunmen who carried out the November 2025 attacks on the Catholic boarding school in Papiri.”

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