Emmanuel Onyedika
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men linked to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to life imprisonment.
The convicts, Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) and arraigned before Justice Salem Ibrahim on a 10-count charge that included terrorism, kidnapping, conspiracy, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining.
Prosecutors accused them of masterminding the kidnapping of 46 schoolchildren and teachers in May 2026 and of belonging to Darul Salam, a proscribed terrorist group affiliated with Ansaru. During Thursday’s proceedings, the defendants pleaded guilty to several charges, including concealing information about the kidnappers and membership of Darul Salam. Umar and Adamu further admitted to using a WhatsApp platform titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace” to spread extremist ideology and encourage terrorism.
The charges, filed by the Federal Government through the DSS, alleged that the suspects conspired with others between January and May 2026 to carry out the Oriire abduction, in violation of Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), hailed the judgment as a strong demonstration of the judiciary’s resolve to tackle terrorism and violent crimes. He noted, however, that proceedings were not yet concluded, as the defendants pleaded not guilty to three counts. The trial on those charges has been adjourned to September 16 and 17.