The federal high court in Abuja on Thursday, July 23, sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their roles in the abduction of students and teachers from a school in Orire local government area of Oyo state.
Justice Salim Ibrahim convicted and sentenced 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) after they pleaded guilty to some of the charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
The defendants were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining.
During Thursday’s proceedings, the three admitted to concealing information about the masterminds behind the school attack.
They also confessed to being members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), a terrorist organization proscribed in Nigeria.
While all three defendants pleaded guilty to counts four and six, Umar additionally admitted guilt to counts seven, eight, nine and 10, which bordered on providing training and instructions to terrorists through a WhatsApp group titled “The oneness of Allah is the foundation of peace.”
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the remaining counts.
Following their guilty pleas, the director of public prosecutions of the federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), who led the prosecution, urged the court to convict and sentence them on the counts to which they pleaded guilty.
The prosecution said the convicts, all from Suleja local government area of Niger State, conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
They were also accused of aiding the kidnapping of the schoolchildren and teachers, as well as concealing information about the identities and activities of those behind the attack despite having knowledge of the plot, contrary to Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the Act.
The federal government further stated that the defendants confessed on June 2 to being members of a proscribed terrorist group, an offence contrary to Section 25(1) of the terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) act, 2022.
Comments