DSS Arrests Five in Connection with Papiri School Kidnap

The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested five individuals connected to the Papiri School kidnapping, recovering a substantial cache of arms, which included 15 AK rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition. The suspects were identified as Yusuf Moham, also known as Batur, and Mubarak Ibrahim, among others.

The arrests occurred along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, following operations reportedly led by Goni Ibrahim, an internal arms courier from the Diffa region of Niger Republic. Alongside Ibrahim, Tukur Sani was also apprehended.

Preliminary investigations revealed that these men served as arms couriers for gunmen involved in the November 21, 2025, attack on the Catholic Board School in Papiri, where dozens of gunmen stormed the premises, holding students and teachers at gunpoint. The federal government confirmed the safe return of 130 captives from the attack, with no pupils remaining in captivity.