By Our Reporter
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday sentenced five men to 25 years imprisonment each for their roles in supporting terrorists linked to the November 21, 2025 attack on a Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger State.
The convicts were arrested on May 31, 2026, by the Department of State Services and subsequently charged with terrorism-related offences, including conspiracy, providing support for acts of terrorism, unlawful possession of firearms, and failure to disclose information about a known terrorist.
Delivering judgment, Justice Binta Nyako sentenced each of the defendants to 25 years in prison after they pleaded guilty to all four counts brought against them under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act.
The five convicts are:
Yusuf Muhammad (aka Bature)
Goni Ibrahim Bindi (aka Goni Mutuwa)
Sani Tukur (aka Danladi)
Mubarak Ibrahim
Musa Alhaji Adamu (aka Gado Banufe)
Two of the convicted persons are citizens of the Republic of Niger.
According to the prosecution, the suspects conspired to transport 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa Region of Niger Republic to one Malam Ahmad, identified as a member of the terrorist group Boko Haram operating in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Security operatives intercepted the weapons during an operation and recovered the arms concealed in sacks of dried fish loaded in a blue Volkswagen Golf vehicle bearing Niger Republic registration number BT 9990 DA.
The recovered rifles, ammunition and the vehicle were tendered as exhibits during the trial. The court subsequently ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle to the Federal Government.
Investigators also established that Yusuf Muhammad knowingly withheld information about the whereabouts and activities of Malam Ahmad, a suspected terrorist said to be hiding in the Gandu Forest area of Borgu LGA.
The convictions stem from investigations into the November 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School in Papiri, where dozens of armed men on motorcycles stormed the institution and abducted hundreds of students and teachers.
Although about 50 students reportedly escaped during the attack, more than 250 others were forced into the Kainji Lake forest area by the attackers.
Security officials described the convictions as a significant breakthrough in efforts to dismantle logistical networks supporting terrorist operations in north-central Nigeria.
