The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday sentenced five persons arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for their involvement in the November 21, 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic Church, Papiri, Niger State, to 25 years imprisonment each.
Justice Binta Nyako handed down the sentence after the five men pleaded guilty to four terrorism-related charges brought against them by the prosecution.
The convicts, identified as Yusuf Mohammed (aka Bature), Goni Ibrahim Bindi (aka Goni Mutuwa), Sani Tukur (aka Danladi), Mubarak Ibrahim and Musa Alhaji Adamu (aka Gado Banufe), were arrested at different locations by DSS operatives on May 31, 2026.
The charges bordered on support for the commission of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as offences under the Firearms Act.
The trial, which concluded shortly after the defendants entered guilty pleas, has been described as one of the fastest terrorism prosecutions in the country’s history.
During the proceedings, the prosecution tendered arms and ammunition recovered from the suspects. In one of the operations leading to their arrest, DSS operatives recovered 15 AK-47 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition concealed in sacks inside a Volkswagen Golf car.
Justice Nyako subsequently ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle to the Federal Government.
The attack for which the convicts were prosecuted occurred in the early hours of November 21, 2025, when dozens of armed men riding motorcycles invaded the Catholic Primary and Secondary Boarding School in Papiri, Niger State.
The gunmen rounded up students and teachers at gunpoint before marching more than 250 students into the Kainji Lake Reserve Forest. About 50 of the children managed to escape during the confusion that followed the attack.
Below are the charges against the convicts.
Count 1:
That you, Yusuf Muhammad (a.k.a. Bature), adult, male, thirty-three (33) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA, Niger State, Goni Ibrahim Bindi (a.k.a.
Goni Mutua), adult, male, twenty-three (23) years old of Awadiri, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Sani Tukur (a.k.a. Danladi), adult, male, twenty five 25) years old of Sansani Displaced Persons Camp, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Mubarak Ibrahim, adult, male twenty eight (28) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA of Niger State, and Musa Alhaji Adamu (a.k.a Gado Banufe) between 23d and 24th April, 2026 did commit an offence, to wit: jointly conspired to render assistance to a terrorist by agreeing and intentionally playing various roles towards conveying fifteen (15) AK 103 rifles as well as about one thousand, four hundred and thirty-four (1,434) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from Diffa region, Republic of Niger to one Malam Ahmad, a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group based in Borgu LGA of Niger State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Count 2:
That you, Yusuf Muhammad (a.k.a. Bature), adult, male, thirty-three (33) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA, Niger State, Goni Ibrahim Bindi (a.k.a.
Goni Mutua), adult, male, twenty-three (23) years old of Awadiri, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Sani Tukur (a.k.a. Danladi), adult, male, twenty five 25) years old of Sansani Displaced Persons Camp, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Mubarak Ibrahim, adult, male twenty eight (28) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA of Niger State, and Musa Alhaji Adamu (a.k.a Gado Banufe) between 23rd and 24th April, 2026 did commit an offence, to wit: rendered support for commission of act of terrorism to a terrorist by agreeing and conveying fifteen (15) AK 103 rifles as well as about one thousand, four hundred and thirty-four (1,434) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from Diffa region, Republic of Niger on behalf of one Malam Ahmad, a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group based in Borgu LGA of Niger State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 13(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Count 3:
That you, Goni Ibrahim Bindi (a.k.a. Goni Mutuwa), adult, male, twenty-three (23) years old of Awadiri, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Sani Tukur (a.k.a. Danladi), adult, male, twenty five (25 years old of Sansani Displaced Persons Camp, Diffa region, Republic of Niger and Musa Alhaji Adamu (a.k.a Gado Banufe), sometime between 23° and 24t April, 2026 at Kwangila area, along Kano-Kaduna express, Zaria; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit an offence, to wit: you had in your possession fifteen (15) AK 103 rifles and about one thousand, four hundred and thirty-four (1,434) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition carefully concealed in sacks containing dried fish loaded in a blue Volkswagen (golf 3) car with Republic of Niger registered plate number BT 9990 DA. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(1) (a) (i), and (b) (ii) of the Firearms Act, CAP F28 LFN,
2004.
Count 4:
That you, Yusuf Muhammad (a.K.a, Bature), adult, male, thirty-three (33) years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA, Niger State, sometimes between February 2025 and April, 2026 did commit an offence, to wit: you had information which you know or believed to be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of Malam Ahmad, a known terrorist hibernating in Gandu forest, Borgu LGA of Niger State, and you failed to disclose such information to law enforcement or security officers.
You thereby committed an offence in contravention of Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.