A Federal High Court in Abuja, has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their involvement in the abduction of Students and Teachers from a school in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State, South West Nigeria.
Justice Salim Ibrahim handed down the sentences after the defendants pleaded guilty to some of the terrorism-related charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
The convicts are Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, alias Yunusa bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, alias Abu Itisar.
They were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining.
During the proceedings, the defendants admitted withholding information about the masterminds of the school abduction and confessed to being members of Darul Salam, a group identified as an affiliate of Ansaru, also known as Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
All three defendants pleaded guilty to counts four and six.
Umar also pleaded guilty to counts seven to 10, which accused him of training and recruiting terrorists through a WhatsApp group named “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the remaining charges.
Following the guilty pleas, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who led the prosecution team, urged the court to sentence the defendants on the counts to which they admitted guilt.
The prosecution alleged that the three defendants, who reside in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to abduct schoolchildren and Teachers in Oyo State.
The alleged offence contravenes Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The Federal Government further accused the defendants of assisting in the abduction and concealing information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds, contrary to Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the Act.
The prosecution also alleged that the defendants, on or about June 2, 2026, admitted membership of the proscribed group, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.
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