DSS Arrests Niger Republic Nationals, Seizes 15 AK-47s in Papiri Probe

ABUJA — The Department of State Services has arrested two Niger Republic nationals and three other masterminds linked to the abduction of schoolchildren in Papiri, Niger State. Operatives also recovered a large cache of arms from the suspects including 15 AK-47 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition. Glamtush confirmed the arrests on Tuesday.

The two Niger Republic nationals are believed to have played a logistics and coordination role in the kidnapping operation. Their arrest suggests that the criminal network behind the Papiri abduction has cross-border dimensions, linking Nigerian criminal actors to foreign nationals with access to military-grade weapons.

DSS said the operation was intelligence-driven and involved weeks of surveillance before the coordinated arrests. The agency said it will continue to pursue all remaining members of the network and is working with security agencies in Niger Republic to track any suspects who may have fled across the border.

Arms Recovery Significance

The recovery of 15 AK-47 rifles and over 1,400 rounds of ammunition is highly significant. It suggests the kidnapping network is not a small-scale opportunistic criminal operation but a well-armed, organised group with access to military-grade weapons. The source of those weapons is now a central focus of the investigation.

Security analysts said the presence of Niger Republic nationals in a Nigerian school kidnapping network confirms the transnational nature of armed criminal activity in northwest Nigeria. The same porous borders that allow displaced JAS and Lakurawa fighters to move freely are being exploited by criminal kidnapping syndicates.

The families of abducted Papiri children said they are relieved by the arrests but their primary concern remains the return of their children. Several said they pray daily for the safe release of the victims and called on the government to prioritise rescue operations alongside prosecution of the perpetrators.