The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced five men arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS, over their roles in the 21 November 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic Church School in Papiri, Niger State, to 25 years’ imprisonment each.
In what appears to be one of the fastest terrorism trials in Nigeria’s history, Justice Binta Nyako delivered the sentence shortly after the defendants — including two citizens of the Republic of Niger — pleaded guilty to all four terrorism-related charges filed against them.
The charges bordered on conspiracy, support for the commission of acts of terrorism, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, and failure to disclose information about a known terrorist. The offences were brought under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act.
The convicts are Yusuf Muhammad, also known as Bature; Goni Ibrahim Bindi, also known as Goni Mutuwa; Sani Tukur, also known as Danladi; Mubarak Ibrahim; and Musa Alhaji Adamu, also known as Gado Banufe. They were arrested by DSS operatives on 31 May 2026 at different locations.
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During one of the operations, DSS operatives recovered 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed in sacks inside a Volkswagen Golf car. The arms and ammunition were tendered as exhibits before the court, which also ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle to the Federal Government.
The attack on St. Joseph Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School occurred in the early hours of 21 November 2025, when dozens of gunmen riding motorcycles invaded the premises and rounded up students and teachers at gunpoint.
Although about 50 children reportedly escaped during the chaos, more than 250 students were marched for days into the Kainji Lake Reserve Forest by the attackers.
According to the first count, the five defendants were accused of conspiring between 23 and 24 April 2026 to assist a terrorist by agreeing to transport 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition from the Diffa Region of the Republic of Niger to one Malam Ahmad, said to be a Boko Haram member based in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Count two accused the defendants of rendering support for acts of terrorism by conveying the same cache of weapons and ammunition on behalf of Malam Ahmad.
Under count three, Goni Ibrahim Bindi, Sani Tukur, and Musa Alhaji Adamu were charged with unlawful possession of the 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, which were allegedly concealed in sacks of dried fish loaded in a blue Volkswagen Golf 3 with Niger Republic registration number BT 9990 DA. The offence was said to have taken place along the Kano-Kaduna Expressway in Zaria.
Count four specifically accused Yusuf Muhammad of failing to disclose information that could have aided the arrest, prosecution, or conviction of Malam Ahmad, described as a known terrorist hiding in Gandu Forest, Borgu LGA, Niger State, between February 2025 and April 2026.
Crediblenewsng.com
