Just in: Three sentenced to life imprisonment over Oriire school kidnapping

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment over their complicity in the kidnapping of school children and teachers in Oriire local government area of Oyo State.

Justice Salim Ibrahim delivered the verdict after the defendants changed their pleas and pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges.

The three men sentenced are Abdulrazak Umar (alias Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (alias Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (alias Abu Itisar).

They were, on Thursday, docked before the court on a 10-count charge that bordered on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement, and illegal mining.

Following their arraignment, they admitted that they concealed information about the masterminds of the school attack.

The defendants 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.

In view of this development, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who led the FG’s legal team, persuaded 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.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖