The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five suspected arms couriers, including two foreign nationals, in connection with the November 2025 mass abduction at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.
In a statement, the DSS disclosed that the suspects allegedly supplied weapons to the gunmen responsible for the kidnapping of nearly 300 students and staff during the attack.
According to the agency, the operation began with the interception of three suspects along the Zaria-Kaduna Highway while they were reportedly en route to receive a consignment of weapons.
Subsequent intelligence-led operations led to the arrest of an alleged international arms courier, Goni Ibrahim, from the Diffa Region of the Niger Republic, and his associate, Tukur Sani. Security operatives recovered 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines, and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed in their vehicle.
Days later, another suspected member of the arms trafficking network, Alhaji Adamu, popularly known as Gado Banufe, was apprehended in Yauri, Kebbi State.
Investigations by the DSS indicate that the suspects played key roles in supplying weapons to the criminal gang behind the Papiri school attack, which has been described as one of Nigeria’s most significant mass kidnappings in recent years.
The November 21, 2025 attack saw heavily armed men invade the Catholic boarding school and abduct hundreds of students and teachers. While some victims managed to escape during the incident, more than 250 others were reportedly taken into the Kainji Lake Reserve forest by the attackers.
The DSS said investigations are ongoing as efforts continue to dismantle the wider network linked to the abduction and other criminal activities.
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