Five Sentenced to 25 Years for Papiri School Kidnap

On Thursday, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced five individuals to 25 years in prison for their roles in the November 21, 2025, attack on St. Joseph Catholic Church in Papiri, Niger State.

Justice Binta Nyako presided over the case, where the defendants—Yusuf Muhammad (33), Goni Ibrahim Bindi (23), Sani Tukur (25), Mubarak Ibrahim (28), and Musa Alhaji Adamu (23)—pleaded guilty to four terrorism-related charges. The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested the men in various locations, leading to the recovery of 15 AK-47 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition.

The attack involved armed men who invaded the school, taking approximately 250 students and teachers hostage, with 50 children managing to escape. The court ordered the forfeiture of a Volkswagen Golf car used in the operation to the federal government.