Papiri Kidnap Investigation: DSS Nabs Five Suspected Arms Suppliers, Seizes 15 AK-103 Rifles

The Department of State Services (DSS) has recorded a major breakthrough in its investigation into the abduction of hundreds of students and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School, arresting five suspected arms couriers allegedly linked to the attack and recovering a cache of weapons.

Among those arrested are two citizens of Niger believed to be part of a network supplying firearms and ammunition to criminal groups operating in Nigeria.

Security sources revealed that operatives recovered 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition during coordinated operations connected to the investigation.

According to the sources, Yusuf Mohammed, also known as Bature and suspected to have links with Boko Haram, was arrested alongside Mubarak Ibrahim on the Zaria-Kaduna Highway while allegedly attempting to collect weapons on behalf of armed group leaders.

The arrests reportedly provided intelligence that led security operatives to Goni Ibrahim, identified as an international arms courier from the Diffa Region of Niger Republic, and another suspect, Tukur Sani.

Investigators said the weapons were hidden inside a blue vehicle used by the suspects.

Further operations resulted in the arrest of Alhaji Adamu, alias Gado Banufe, in Yauri, Kebbi State. He is alleged to have played a role in distributing weapons across parts of the state.

Security officials believe the suspects were involved in supplying arms to the gunmen who carried out the November 21, 2025 raid on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village.

The attack saw dozens of armed men riding motorcycles invade the boarding school, forcing students and teachers into captivity at gunpoint.

Although about 50 pupils reportedly escaped during the chaos, more than 250 victims were taken deep into the Kainji Lake Reserve forest, where they remained captive for weeks.

The incident drew widespread condemnation across the country and intensified calls for stronger protection of schools in vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions.

A month after the attack, on December 21, 2025, federal and state authorities announced the successful rescue of the remaining 130 captives, bringing the ordeal to an end and confirming that all abducted pupils had regained their freedom.

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