The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five men to 25 years in prison each for their involvement in a mass abduction in Niger State and for supplying arms to terrorists.
The convicts were linked to the 21vNovember 2025 attack on St Joseph Catholic Church in Papiri, where gunmen abducted more than 300 students and staff.
While about 50 of the victims escaped, more than 250 were forced by the attackers to trek for days into the Kainji Lake Reserve Forest.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) later tracked and arrested five suspects identified as Yusuf Mohamned (aka Bature), Goni Ibrahim Bindi (aka Goni Mutuwa), Sani Tukur (aka Danladi), Mubarak Ibrahin and Musa Alhaji Adamu (aka Gado Banufe).
During one of the operations, DSS operatives recovered 15 AK-47 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition concealed in sacks inside a Volkswagen Golf car. The exhibits were tendered in court, which subsequently ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle to the Federal Government.
Justice Binta Nyako handed down the sentence on Thursday after the defendants, including two nationals of Niger Republic, pleaded guilty to four terrorism-related charges.
The charges bordered on support for acts of terrorism, contrary to provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act.
Count one read: “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 two read: “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.”
The conviction marks a significant outcome in the prosecution of suspects linked to school abductions, which have heightened concerns over security in parts of the country.
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