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 they pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offences.
Justice Salim Ibrahim convicted Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar, during proceedings on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
The judge ordered that their sentences should take effect from the dates on which they were arrested by the Department of State Services.
The three men, who are from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, were arraigned on a 10-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/412/2026.
TheNigeriaLawyer had reported on July 17 that the Federal Government filed the charges against the defendants over their alleged connection with the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire.
The charges bordered on conspiracy, aiding kidnapping, concealment of information, failure to report terrorist activities, membership of a proscribed organisation, provision of terrorist training, incitement through a WhatsApp platform and unlawful mining.
At their arraignment, all three defendants pleaded guilty to Counts Four and Six of the charge.
Count Four accused them of having information about Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab, whom prosecutors identified as the alleged masterminds of the Oriire school abduction, but failing to report them to the appropriate security agencies.
The offence was brought under Section 16(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Count Six accused the defendants of professing membership of Darul Salam, described by the prosecution as an affiliate of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, popularly known as Ansaru, a proscribed terrorist organisation.
The charge alleged that they professed membership of the organisation in Suleja on or about June 2, 2026, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Terrorism Act.
Umar, the first defendant, additionally pleaded guilty to Counts Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten, which applied exclusively to him.
The prosecution alleged in Counts Seven and Eight that Umar provided training and instructions to terrorists through a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
In Count Nine, he was accused of using the same WhatsApp group to incite members to commit acts of terrorism through religious teachings and messages.
The alleged incitement offence was brought under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.
Count Ten accused Umar of engaging in unlawful gold mining in streams within the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area between 2024 and 2026.
Before sentencing, counsel representing the defendants appealed to the court for leniency, describing them as first-time offenders who had shown remorse by admitting the offences.
The defence argued that the counts to which the men pleaded guilty did not establish that they personally participated in the physical abduction of the pupils and teachers.
Their lawyer also told the court that the defendants were married, had children and were responsible for elderly parents who depended on them.
He urged the judge to give them another opportunity and impose sentences that would allow them to return to society after serving their terms.
The prosecution opposed the request for a lighter sentence, arguing that the defendants knew individuals involved in terrorist activities and failed in their obligation to provide the information to security agencies.
Prosecuting counsel maintained that citizens who possess information capable of preventing a terrorist attack have a duty to report it to the relevant authorities.
Justice Ibrahim subsequently convicted the defendants on the counts to which they pleaded guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
Hours after the judgment, the DSS announced that it would appeal the sentences, saying the punishment was not commensurate with the gravity of the crimes committed during the Oriire abduction.
The security agency cited the killing of two teachers by members of the terrorist organisation involved in the attack as one of the reasons it considered the sentences inadequate.
The DSS did not immediately disclose the precise orders it would ask the appellate court to make but indicated that it would seek a punishment it considered more appropriate to the offences and consequences of the attack. (Channels Television)
The abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when armed men attacked three schools in Yawota and Ahoro-Esinele communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
Thirty-nine pupils and seven teachers were reportedly seized during the coordinated attacks, prompting a joint security operation involving the military, police and intelligence agencies.
Two of the abducted teachers were killed while in captivity.
One of them, Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly beheaded shortly after the abduction, while another teacher and pastor, John Olaleye, was also killed by the abductors.
