Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja for concealing information about the masterminds of the infamous Oriire school kidnapping in Oyo State.
The convicts were found guilty after pleading guilty to charges brought against them by the Federal Government, admitting that they deliberately withheld information that could have exposed those behind the abduction.
Justice Salem Ibrahim handed down the sentence after the defendants confessed to concealing vital information relating to the kidnapping, which involved pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The prosecution also established that the convicts were members of Darul Salam, a group identified as an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist organisation, Ansaru.
The Federal Government had earlier arraigned the three suspects over their alleged involvement in the abduction before the court.
During the proceedings, the defendants admitted to withholding information about the planners of the school kidnapping, paving the way for their conviction.
The court further heard that two of the convicts—Abdulrazak Umar and Shamsudin Adamu—also pleaded guilty to additional terrorism-related offences.
According to the charges, the duo admitted providing training and instructions to members of their WhatsApp group, “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace,” and inciting members to engage in acts of terrorism.
Following their guilty pleas, Justice Ibrahim convicted the three men and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
The judgment marks the latest prosecution arising from the Oriire school kidnapping, a case that drew national attention after pupils and teachers were abducted in Oyo State.
Security agencies have continued efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and prosecute individuals linked to kidnapping and violent extremism across the country.
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