DSS Arrests Two Foreign Nationals, Three Others Linked To Papiri Catholic School Abduction; Recovers 15 AK Rifles, Over 1,400 Rounds Of Ammunition

Abuja,  Nigeria- The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five suspected arms couriers, including two foreign nationals from Niger Republic, in connection with the November 2025 abduction of hundreds of students and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School in Papiri, Niger State.

Afrika Eyes gathered that the suspects were part of a network responsible for supplying weapons and ammunition to the gunmen who carried out the mass kidnapping that shocked the nation and drew international condemnation.

Among those arrested are Yusuf Mohammed, popularly known as Bature, a suspected member of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), commonly known as Boko Haram, and his associate, Mubarak Ibrahim.

The pair were reportedly intercepted by DSS operatives along the Zaria-Kaduna Highway while travelling to collect a fresh consignment of weapons intended for terrorist commanders.

Following their arrest, intelligence-led operations led security operatives to another suspect, Goni Ibrahim, identified as an international arms courier from the Diffa Region of Niger Republic.

He was arrested alongside his accomplice, Tukur Sani.

Security sources revealed that a search of a blue vehicle used by the suspects uncovered a significant cache of weapons, including 15 AK-103 assault rifles, 15 magazines and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed within the vehicle.

Investigators believe the recovered weapons were destined for armed groups operating across parts of northern Nigeria.

Meanwhile, days after the initial arrests, DSS operatives reportedly apprehended another member of the suspected arms trafficking syndicate, Alhaji Adamu, also known as Gado Banufe, in Yauri, Kebbi State.

Adamu is said to be a notorious arms supplier operating around the Kebbi axis.

According to security officials familiar with the investigation, preliminary findings indicate that the five suspects served as key logistics and weapons suppliers to the gunmen responsible for the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri on November 21, 2025.

The attack occurred in the early hours of the morning when dozens of heavily armed gunmen riding motorcycles stormed the Catholic boarding school and rounded up students and teachers at gunpoint.

Although approximately 50 pupils managed to escape during the chaos, more than 250 students and staff members were forced into the vast Kainji Lake National Park forest, where they were held captive for weeks.

The mass abduction triggered nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over the growing links between terrorist groups, bandit networks and transnational arms trafficking syndicates operating across Nigeria’s porous borders.

More than a month after the attack, on December 21, 2025, federal and Niger State authorities announced the rescue and safe return of the remaining 130 captives.

Government officials subsequently confirmed that no student remained in captivity.

As of the time of filing this report, the DSS had not issued an official statement on the arrests, while investigations into the suspected arms trafficking network remain ongoing.