A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five men to 25 years imprisonment each for their roles in the November 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic Church, Papiri, in Niger State and related terrorism offences.
The convicts, who were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services on May 31, 2026, were sentenced by Justice Binta Nyako after pleading guilty to a four-count charge bordering on terrorism, unlawful possession of firearms, and support for terrorist activities.
The five convicts are Yusuf Muhammad, also known as Bature; Goni Ibrahim Bindi, alias Goni Mutuwa; Sani Tukur, alias Danladi; Mubarak Ibrahim; and Musa Alhaji Adamu, popularly known as Gado Banufe. Two of the convicts are citizens of the Republic of Niger.
According to the charges, the defendants conspired to transport 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa Region of Niger Republic to a suspected Boko Haram member identified as Malam Ahmad in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The prosecution also accused them of providing material support for terrorist activities and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition concealed in sacks of dried fish loaded in a Volkswagen Golf vehicle.
The court heard that DSS operatives recovered the weapons and ammunition during one of the operations that led to the suspects’ arrest. Justice Nyako subsequently ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle used in conveying the arms to the Federal Government.
The case is linked to the November 21, 2025 attack on St. Joseph Catholic Church, Papiri, during which dozens of gunmen reportedly stormed a Catholic boarding school and abducted over 250 students and teachers. Although many of the victims later escaped, the incident drew national outrage and renewed concerns over insecurity in parts of the country.
The conviction is being described by legal observers as one of the swiftest terrorism prosecutions in recent years, coming less than two weeks after the suspects were apprehended by security operatives.
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