Five Abductors of Papiri School Children Sentenced to 25 Years, Arms Confiscated
Five men, including Nigerien and Nigerian nationals, have been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment each by the Federal High Court in Abuja for various terrorism-related offenses. The convicts pleaded guilty to charges including providing support for terrorism, unlawful possession of firearms, and concealing information about a known terrorist, with their activities linked to attacks in Niger State.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five men to 25 years imprisonment each for their involvement in various terrorism-related activities, including complicity in attacks in Niger State. Justice Binta Nyako delivered the judgment on Thursday, after the defendants pleaded guilty to a four-count terrorism charge. The convicted individuals are Yusuf Muhammad (a.k.a. Bature), Goni Ibrahim Bindi (a.k.a. Goni Mutuwa), Sani Tukur (a.k.a. Danladi), Mubarak Ibrahim, and Musa Alhaji Adamu (a.k.a. Gado Banufe). Three of the convicts are Nigerian nationals based in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, while the other two are Niger Republic nationals.
The charges against them bordered on providing support for terrorism, unlawful possession of firearms, and concealment of information, all contravening the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act. The defendants were arrested by Department of State Services (DSS) operatives less than two weeks before their sentencing, following investigations into their involvement in the movement of arms linked to terrorist activities.
Specifically, on Count 1 and Count 2, the convicts were found to have jointly conspired to render assistance and provide support to a terrorist group by agreeing and playing roles in conveying fifteen AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition. This illicit transport occurred between April 23 and 24, 2026, from the Diffa region of the Republic of Niger to one Malam Ahmad, a known member of the Boko Haram terrorist group operating from Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. For these counts, Justice Nyako slammed 25 years of imprisonment on each of them.
On Count 3, Goni Ibrahim Bindi, Sani Tukur, and Musa Alhaji Adamu were found to be in unlawful possession of the aforementioned weapons. These firearms and ammunition were carefully concealed in sacks of dried fish inside a blue Volkswagen Golf 3 car, with a Niger Republic registration number BT 9990 DA, along the Kano–Kaduna Expressway in Zaria. For this offense, they were each sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
Count 4 charged Yusuf Muhammad with failing to report crucial information about Malam Ahmad, a known terrorist hibernating in Gandu Forest, Borgu LGA, Niger State, between February 2025 and April 2026. Yusuf Muhammad had information that could have materially assisted in the apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of the terrorist. For this concealment of information, he also bagged 25 years imprisonment.
The court ordered that the 15 AK-103 rifles, 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, and the Volkswagen Golf car used in conveying the weapons be forfeited to the Federal Government. The overall effective sentence for each convict is 25 years, to be served in a place designated by the Minister of Interior. The activities of the convicts were linked to the November 21, 2025, attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, where armed men on motorcycles abducted over 250 students and staff, while 50 students managed to escape.