The Department of State Services (DSS) has apprehended five individuals, including two Nigeriens, in connection with the abduction of nearly 300 students and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, on November 21, 2025. The suspects were reportedly involved in transporting arms for the attackers, and authorities recovered a significant cache of weapons, including 15 AK-47 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition, concealed in a vehicle they were using. Among those arrested is Yusuf Mohammed, also known as Bature, a wanted member of the Boko Haram terrorist organization, and his accomplice Mubarak Ibrahim, who were intercepted on the Zaria-Kaduna Highway. A subsequent operation led to the capture of Goni Ibrahim, an international arms courier, and his associate Tukur Sani, while another suspect, Alhaji Adamu, was arrested in Kebbi State, further linking the group to the violent incident that resulted in the mass abduction.
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