By SUNTV Global Channel | June 1, 2026
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five suspected arms traffickers, including two foreign nationals from Niger Republic, over their alleged role in supplying weapons to the gunmen behind the shocking abduction of students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.
According to security sources, the suspects were apprehended during a series of intelligence-driven operations targeting a network believed to be responsible for transporting weapons to criminal and insurgent groups operating across northern Nigeria.
Among those arrested are Yusuf Mohammed, popularly known as Bature, a suspected member of the Boko Haram faction Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), and his associate, Mubarak Ibrahim. The duo was reportedly intercepted along the Zaria-Kaduna Highway while on a mission to receive a fresh consignment of weapons meant for insurgent commanders.
Further investigations led DSS operatives to the arrest of Goni Ibrahim, an alleged international arms courier from the Diffa Region of Niger Republic, and his accomplice, Tukur Sani. A search conducted on their vehicle uncovered a large cache of weapons, including 15 AK-103 assault rifles, 15 magazines, and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition concealed inside the vehicle.
In a related operation, DSS operatives arrested another suspect, Alhaji Adamu, also known as Gado Banufe, in Yauri, Kebbi State. Security sources allege that he supplied weapons to criminal gangs operating within Kebbi State and neighboring regions.
Preliminary findings indicate that the suspects served as key arms couriers and logistics suppliers to the gunmen responsible for the November 21, 2025 attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School in Papiri.
The attack shocked the nation after heavily armed gunmen invaded the school and abducted hundreds of students and teachers. While some students escaped during the chaos, more than 250 victims were reportedly taken into the Kainji Lake Reserve forest and held captive for several weeks.
The incident sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over the escalating insecurity and repeated attacks on educational institutions across Nigeria.
Authorities later confirmed that all abducted students were rescued and reunited with their families on December 21, 2025, bringing an end to one of the most disturbing school kidnapping incidents in recent Nigerian history.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as investigations progress.
