The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their involvement in the kidnapping of students and teachers from a school in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Justice Salim Ibrahim handed down the sentences after the defendants pleaded guilty to several terrorism-related charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
The convicts, identified as 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, were arraigned on Thursday on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining.
During the proceedings, the three defendants admitted to concealing information about the masterminds behind the school kidnapping.
They also confessed to being members of Darul Salam, an organisation described by the Federal Government as an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), a terrorist group that has been officially proscribed in Nigeria.
While all three defendants pleaded guilty to counts four and six of the charge, only the first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, admitted guilt on counts seven, eight, nine and ten.
Those additional charges alleged that he used a WhatsApp platform known as “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace” to provide training and instructions to members of a terrorist network.
The three defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the remaining charges preferred against them.
Following their guilty pleas, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), who led the Federal Government’s legal team, urged the court to convict and sentence them on the counts to which they had admitted guilt.
The convicts, all natives of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, were accused of conspiring with three other suspects identified as Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to abduct schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
The prosecution argued that their actions violated Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
According to the charge, the defendants also assisted in carrying out the kidnapping operation and deliberately concealed information relating to the identities and activities of those who planned the attack, contrary to Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the same Act.
The Federal Government further alleged that the defendants admitted during investigations conducted on or about June 2 that they belonged to the proscribed terrorist organisation.
Their membership of the group was said to constitute an offence under Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
After considering the defendants’ guilty pleas and the submissions made by the prosecution, Justice Ibrahim convicted the trio and sentenced them to life imprisonment for their roles in the kidnapping and terrorism-related offences.
