The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five persons, including two Nigeriens, suspected to be arms couriers to gunmen who, on November 21, 2025, attacked St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village, Niger State, abducting nearly 300 students and staff.
Items recovered from the men were a large cache of arms, including 15 AK rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition.
According to credible security sources, Yusuf Mohammed, aka Bature, who is on the list of wanted members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, aka the Boko Haram terror organisation, and his accomplice, Mubarak Ibrahim, were arrested on the Zaria-Kaduna highway while on their way to collect a consignment of arms for their commanders.
The source added that a follow-up operation led to the arrest of Goni Ibrahim, an international arms courier from the Diffa Region, Niger Republic. Arrested alongside Ibrahim was one Tukur Sani, who was identified as his accomplice.
The security sources disclosed that, concealed in an unnamed blue car, both men were arrested, along with 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines, and 1,434 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition.
Days after the arrests, added the security sources, yet another member of the arms courier syndicate, identified as Alhaji Adamu, aka Gado Banufe, supplying arms around the Kebbi axis, was arrested in Yauri, Kebbi State.
