The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their roles in the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State earlier this year.
Justice Salim Ibrahim handed down the sentence after convicting Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, alias Abu Itisar, on terrorism-related offences linked to the school attack.
The judge ordered that the life sentences should take effect from the date of the convicts’ arrest.
The three defendants were arraigned on a 10-count charge filed by the Federal Government, bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining.
According to the prosecution, the convicts were members of Darul Salam, a group alleged to be affiliated with the banned terrorist organisation Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru).
The Federal Government alleged that between January and May 2026, the defendants conspired with other suspects still at large, including Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab, to facilitate the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
They were also accused of deliberately withholding information about the identities and activities of those responsible for the attack despite having prior knowledge of the plot.
During the trial, the defendants pleaded guilty to charges relating to concealing information about the terrorists and admitted belonging to the Darul Salam group.
Abdulrazak Umar also admitted additional charges of providing ideological instruction and training to members of the group through a WhatsApp platform known as “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
However, the three men pleaded not guilty to the remaining counts.
Following the guilty pleas, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants on the offences they had admitted committing.
Defence counsel appealed for leniency, arguing that the convicts were first-time offenders who had shown remorse by pleading guilty. He also urged the court to consider their family responsibilities, noting that they had wives, children and elderly parents who depended on them.
The prosecution, however, maintained that the defendants knowingly concealed vital information about terrorist activities and failed to alert security agencies, thereby aiding the commission of the crime.
Justice Ibrahim agreed with the prosecution and sentenced the three men to life imprisonment.
The case stems from the May 15 attack on Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area.
Armed men abducted 46 victims, including 39 pupils and seven teachers, during the raid.
The attack claimed the lives of Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, who was shot while attempting to flee, and Mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, who was later killed by his captors.
The victims regained their freedom on July 10 following an intelligence-driven military operation that targeted the kidnappers’ camps inside the Old Oyo National Park.
The Nigerian Army subsequently announced the rescue of 44 pupils and teachers and the arrest of eight suspected members of the kidnapping syndicate.
The Presidency later disclosed that no ransom was paid to secure the victims’ release, despite reports that the kidnappers had demanded N1 billion and the release of one of their detained commanders.
Following the operation, the Federal Government filed terrorism-related charges against the three convicts, culminating in Thursday’s life imprisonment verdict.