The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three persons to life in prison over their complicity in the kidnapping of pupils and teachers of a school in Orire Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria in May 2026.
Justice Salim Ibrahim convicted and sentenced the accused persons, Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar), after they pleaded guilty to part of the allegations the Federal Government of Nigeria levelled against them.
They were on Thursday arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement, and illegal mining.
The defendants admitted that they concealed information about the masterminds of the school attack.
They also admitted their membership of Darul Salam, which was described as an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
While all three defendants pleaded guilty to counts four and six of the charge, only the 1st defendant, Umar, alias Abu Khalid, accepted guilt on counts 7, 8, 9, and 10, which bordered on allegations that he provided training and instructions to terrorists via a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace”.
However, they maintained their innocence on the remaining counts of the charge.
Following the partial guilty plea, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court to sentence the defendants on the counts of the charge to which they pleaded guilty.
The convicts, all from Suleja LGA of Niger State, were alleged to have conspired with one Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed, and Ibrahim Khabab, between January and May 2026, to kidnap school children and teachers in Oyo State, contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
They are further alleged to have aided the kidnapping of the school children and teachers, as well as concealed information regarding the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds, despite knowledge of the plot, thereby committing offences contrary to Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the Act, respectively.
Furthermore, the FG alleged that the defendants had, on or about June 2, confessed to membership of a proscribed group.
By their membership in the terrorist sect, they were alleged to have acted in breach of Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
All 44 abducted schoolchildren and teachers were safely rescued by security agencies on July 10, 2026, after 56 days in captivity.
Some of the kidnappers were neutralized and eight suspects were arrested.
However, two teachers were killed in captivity, with one beheaded.