DSS arrests five suspects linked to Niger Catholic school attack

The Department of State Services has arrested five suspects allegedly linked to the abduction of hundreds of students and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.

The arrests were disclosed by security publication Zagazola Makama, which reported that those detained include a wanted Boko Haram member and two Nigerien nationals suspected of supplying weapons to the gunmen behind the attack.

In November 2025, armed men stormed the school in Papiri village and abducted 315 people, including 303 students and 12 teachers. While about 50 pupils reportedly escaped within 24 hours, the remaining victims were released in stages over the following weeks.

According to the report, one of the suspects, identified as Yusuf Mohammed, also known as Bature, was allegedly on the list of wanted members of Boko Haram. He was arrested alongside an accomplice, Mubarak Ibrahim, on the Zaria-Kaduna highway while reportedly travelling to collect a consignment of weapons. “Recovered from the men were a large cache of arms, including 15 AK rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition,” the publication reported.

Security sources cited by the publication said a follow-up operation led to the arrest of Goni Ibrahim, an alleged international arms courier from the Diffa region of Niger Republic, along with another suspect identified as Tukur Sani.

Investigators reportedly recovered 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed inside a vehicle allegedly used by the suspects. The report further stated that another suspected member of the arms trafficking network, identified as Alhaji Adamu, also known as Gado Banufe, was later arrested in Yauri, Kebbi State.

According to security sources, preliminary investigations suggest the five suspects served as arms suppliers to the gunmen who carried out the mass abduction at the Catholic boarding school. The DSS has not yet released an official public statement on the arrests, and investigations into the case are ongoing