Papiri School Attack: Court Jails 5 Suspects For 25 Years

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five individuals to 25 years imprisonment each for their involvement in terrorism-related offences connected to the November 21, 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School in Papiri, Niger State.

According to judicial proceedings monitored by Ireporter Online, Justice Binta Nyako delivered the judgment on Thursday after the defendants admitted guilt to four terrorism-related charges brought against them by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The charges included conspiracy, providing support for acts of terrorism, unlawful possession of firearms, and failure to disclose information considered valuable to security agencies.

The convicted persons were identified as Yusuf Muhammad, also known as Bature; Goni Ibrahim Bindi, also known as Goni Mutuwa; Sani Tukur, also known as Danladi; Mubarak Ibrahim; and Musa Alhaji Adamu, also known as Gado Banufe. Two of the five convicts are citizens of the Republic of Niger.

Court records showed that the suspects were apprehended by DSS operatives on May 31, 2026, during coordinated operations at various locations. The prosecution informed the court that the group transported 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa Region of the Republic of Niger to an individual identified as Malam Ahmad, who was alleged to be a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group operating in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

Security operatives reportedly recovered the cache of weapons and ammunition concealed inside sacks loaded into a Volkswagen Golf vehicle during one of the arrests. The recovered items were presented before the court as exhibits, while Justice Nyako also ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle to the Federal Government.

The prosecution linked the case to the deadly attack on St. Joseph Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School in Papiri, where dozens of armed men on motorcycles invaded the institution in the early hours of November 21, 2025, forcing students and teachers out at gunpoint.

Although about 50 children reportedly escaped during the ensuing chaos, more than 250 students were allegedly taken into the Kainji Lake Reserve Forest by the attackers.

The court heard that between April 23 and 24, 2026, the defendants conspired to facilitate terrorist activities by transporting the firearms and ammunition, actions said to contravene the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as the Firearms Act.

One of the charges specifically accused Yusuf Muhammad of withholding information that could have aided security agencies in locating and prosecuting Malam Ahmad, who was described as a known terrorist allegedly hiding in Gandu Forest within Borgu Local Government Area.

Following their guilty pleas, Justice Nyako imposed a 25-year prison sentence on each of the five convicts, bringing the high-profile terrorism case to a close.