A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five individuals to 25 years imprisonment each for their involvement in the 2025 abduction of students from St. Joseph Catholic School in Papiri, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The convicts — Yusuf Mohammed (alias Bature), Goni Ibrahim Bindi, Sani Tukur, Mubarak Ibrahim, and Musa Alhaji Adamu (alias Gado Banufe) — were found guilty of terrorism-related offences after pleading guilty to charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Binta Nyako convicted the defendants on charges bordering on conspiracy, support for terrorism, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, and failure to disclose information about terrorist activities.
According to court records, the suspects were arrested by DSS operatives in May 2026 during intelligence-led operations. Security personnel recovered 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition concealed in sacks inside a Volkswagen Golf vehicle. The court subsequently ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle to the Federal Government.
The prosecution linked the convicts to the November 21, 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic School in Papiri, where armed men invaded the institution and abducted more than 250 students and staff members. Several victims reportedly escaped during the incident, while security agencies later intensified efforts to dismantle the network responsible for the attack.
The court held that the defendants rendered support to terrorist elements operating in Niger State and imposed a 25-year jail term on each of the convicts.
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Security / Crime