The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five men linked to the November 21, 2025 attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, to 25 years imprisonment each.
Justice Binta Nyako delivered the judgment on Thursday after the defendants, including two citizens of Niger Republic, pleaded guilty to all four terrorism-related charges brought against them.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on May 31, 2026, in connection with the attack on the school.
The charges involved providing support for acts of terrorism, in violation of Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as provisions of the Firearms Act.
According to Count One, the defendants were accused of conspiring and deliberately assisting terrorists by facilitating the transportation of 15 AK-103 rifles and approximately 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa region of Niger Republic to one Malam Ahmad, an alleged member of the Boko Haram terrorist group operating in Borgu, Niger State. The offence was said to be contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The five suspects were apprehended at different locations during DSS operations carried out less than two weeks ago.
In one of the operations, security agents recovered 15 AK-47 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition concealed in sacks inside a Volkswagen Golf vehicle.
The recovered weapons and ammunition were presented before the court as exhibits.
Justice Nyako also ordered the forfeiture of the Volkswagen Golf vehicle used in the operation to the Federal Government.
The Papiri school attack occurred in the early hours of November 21, 2025, when dozens of heavily armed men riding motorcycles invaded St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School.
The attackers abducted students and teachers at gunpoint. Although about 50 students managed to escape during the confusion, more than 250 pupils were reportedly forced into the Kainji Lake Reserve Forest, where they were held for several days.
The incident sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over insecurity and school attacks across the country.
Following a series of kidnappings and terrorist activities, President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency on November 26, 2025.
The President also directed increased recruitment into the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force, while authorising the DSS to deploy trained forest guards to combat terrorists and bandits operating in forested areas.
Slightly more than a month after the abduction, officials of both the Federal Government and the Niger State Government confirmed the successful rescue and safe return of all the captives, stating that no student remained in captivity.
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