Five Sentenced to 25 Years for Papiri School Attack

On Thursday, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, sentenced five men to 25 years in prison for their involvement in the November 21, 2025, attack on St. Joseph Catholic Church School in Papiri, Niger State.

The suspects, arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) on May 31, 2026, pleaded guilty to four charges related to terrorism. The court proceedings are noted as one of the fastest terror trials in Nigerian history.

The convicted individuals include Yusuf Muhammad (33), Goni Ibrahim Bindi (23), Sani Tukur (25), Mubarak Ibrahim (28), and Musa Alhaji Adamu (24), with some being from the Diffa region of the Republic of Niger. The DSS recovered 15 AK-47 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition during the arrests.

The attack involved gunmen storming the school, resulting in chaos and the escape of 50 children.