The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five men to 25 years imprisonment each for terrorism-related offences linked to the November 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.
Justice Binta Nyako delivered the judgment on Thursday after the defendants pleaded guilty to charges brought by the Federal Government under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and the Firearms Act.
The convicts — Yusuf Muhammad (also known as Bature), Goni Ibrahim Bindi (alias Goni Mutua), Sani Tukur (alias Danladi), Mubarak Ibrahim, and Musa Alhaji Adamu (alias Gado Banufe) — were accused of supporting terrorist activities and facilitating the movement of arms linked to Boko Haram insurgents.
Two of the convicts are citizens of the Republic of Niger, while the remaining three are Nigerians from Niger State.
Court documents showed that between April 23 and 24, 2026, the defendants transported 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition from the Diffa Region of Niger Republic to a suspected Boko Haram associate in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The prosecution said the weapons were concealed in sacks inside a Volkswagen Golf vehicle, which was later recovered by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The court ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle to the Federal Government as part of the judgment.
The suspects were arrested on May 31, 2026, during separate DSS operations, and the arms and ammunition were tendered as exhibits during the trial.
The convictions are linked to the November 21, 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, where armed men stormed the school and abducted students and staff into the Kainji Lake National Park forest area.
Some of the victims reportedly escaped during the incident, which triggered widespread national concern over insecurity and mass abductions.
The ruling marks the conclusion of proceedings against the five defendants in the Papiri-related terrorism case.
(The Whistler)