The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested five suspected arms couriers, including two foreign nationals, over their alleged involvement in supplying weapons used by gunmen who carried out the mass abduction at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, in November 2025.
The service said the suspects played key roles in providing arms and ammunition to the kidnappers responsible for the attack, which led to the abduction of hundreds of students and staff members.
In a statement, the DSS disclosed that the operation began with the interception of three suspects along the Zaria–Kaduna Highway while they were allegedly en route to receive a consignment of weapons.
Further intelligence-led operations later resulted in the arrest of an international arms courier identified as Goni Ibrahim, a native of the Diffa Region of the Niger Republic, alongside his accomplice, Tukur Sani.
During the raid, operatives recovered 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines, and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed in the suspects’ vehicle.
The DSS also confirmed the arrest of another suspected member of the arms trafficking network, Alhaji Adamu, popularly known as Gado Banufe, who was apprehended days later in Yauri, Kebbi State.
Preliminary investigations reportedly indicated that the suspects were major suppliers of weapons to the criminal gang behind the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, one of the most devastating mass kidnappings in recent years.
The assault occurred on November 21, 2025, when heavily armed gunmen stormed the school in Papiri, Niger State, and abducted nearly 300 students and staff members. While some victims managed to escape during the invasion, more than 250 others were reportedly taken into the Kainji Lake Reserve Forest by the kidnappers.
Security agencies have continued efforts to dismantle the wider network behind the attack and track down other members of the criminal syndicate.
The DSS said investigations are ongoing and reaffirmed its commitment to combating arms trafficking and kidnapping across the country.