Court Jails 5 for 25 Years Over Role in Papiri School Abduction Attack
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five men to 25 years imprisonment each for their involvement in the November 2025 attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.
Justice Binta Nyako delivered the judgment on Thursday after the defendants, including two citizens of the Republic of Niger, pleaded guilty to four terrorism-related charges brought against them by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The convicts were arrested by DSS operatives on May 31, 2026, following investigations into the school attack that resulted in the mass abduction of students and teachers.
According to the prosecution, the defendants conspired to provide logistical support to terrorists by transporting 15 AK-103 rifles and approximately 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa Region of Niger Republic to a suspected Boko Haram member identified as Malam Ahmad, who was operating in Borgu, Niger State.
The offences contravened provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as the Firearms Act.
During the trial, the prosecution presented the recovered weapons and ammunition as evidence. Security operatives had intercepted the cache concealed in sacks inside a Volkswagen Golf vehicle during one of the arrests.
Justice Nyako subsequently ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle to the Federal Government.
The November 21, 2025 attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School shocked the nation after dozens of heavily armed gunmen on motorcycles invaded the institution and abducted hundreds of students and staff.
Although about 50 students reportedly escaped during the attack, more than 250 others were forced into the Kainji Lake National Park forest area, sparking widespread outrage and renewed concerns over insecurity across the country.
The conviction of the five suspects is being viewed as a significant step in ongoing efforts to bring those responsible for the attack to justice.
