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 after finding them guilty on charges connected with terrorism and the school kidnapping.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, who delivered the judgment, ordered that the life sentences should take effect from the date the convicts were arrested.
The convicts – Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa (Yunusa bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani, popularly known as Abu Itisar – were prosecuted by the Federal Government on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining.
According to the prosecution, the three men are members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
The Federal Government alleged that the defendants, all from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, conspired with other suspects, including Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab, between January and May 2026 to facilitate the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
The defendants were also accused of concealing information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite being aware of the planned attack.
During the trial, the three men pleaded guilty to counts four and six of the charge, admitting that they concealed information about those responsible for the school attack and acknowledging their membership of Darul Salam.
Umar also pleaded guilty to additional counts relating to providing training and instructions to members of the group through a WhatsApp platform titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.” However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the remaining counts.
Following the guilty pleas, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants on the counts to which they admitted guilt.
Counsel to the defendants pleaded for leniency, describing them as first-time offenders who had shown remorse by pleading guilty. He argued that the offences they admitted were not directly related to the kidnapping itself and appealed to the court to consider their family responsibilities, noting that they had children and elderly parents who depended on them.
The prosecution, however, maintained that the convicts knowingly concealed information about terrorist activities and failed in their duty to alert security agencies despite being aware of the plot.
Justice Ibrahim subsequently convicted the trio and sentenced each of them to life imprisonment.
The convictions stem from the May 15, 2026 attack on Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, where gunmen abducted 46 people, comprising 39 pupils and seven teachers.
During the attack, the Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, was killed while attempting to escape, while a Mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was later murdered by his captors. Another teacher, John Olaleye, was also killed.
The remaining victims regained their freedom on July 10 after an intelligence-led military operation by security forces targeted the kidnappers’ hideouts in the Old Oyo National Park.
The Nigerian Army announced that 44 pupils and teachers were rescued during the operation, while eight suspected members of the kidnapping gang were arrested.
The Presidency had stated after the rescue that no ransom was paid and no concessions were made to the abductors, despite their reported demand for a ₦1 billion ransom and the release of a detained commander.
Following the rescue operation, the Federal Government filed the 10-count charge against the three convicts, accusing them of offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including conspiracy, aiding terrorism, concealment of terrorist activities and membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation.
