A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their involvement in the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Justice Salim Ibrahim handed down the sentence after the three defendants , Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (also known as Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (also known as Abu Itisar) — pleaded guilty to several terrorism-related charges.
The convicts, all from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining.
According to the prosecution, the defendants admitted concealing information about the masterminds of the school abduction and acknowledged belonging to Darul Salam, an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist group Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru).
While the three defendants pleaded not guilty to Counts 1, 2, 4, and 5, they admitted guilt on several other charges. Umar additionally pleaded guilty to Counts 7, 8, 9, and 10, which alleged that he trained and instructed terrorists through a WhatsApp group known as “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
The Federal Government alleged that between January and May 2026, the defendants conspired with three other suspects , Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab — to orchestrate the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, contrary to the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The prosecution also accused them of aiding the kidnapping operation and concealing information about those responsible for the attack.
During the proceedings, the prosecution urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants on the charges to which they had pleaded guilty in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, while requesting separate trial dates for the remaining contested counts.
Defence counsel had asked the court to defer sentencing until the conclusion of the trial on all charges, but the prosecution opposed the application, arguing that the law required immediate conviction and sentencing following guilty pleas.
In the course of the hearing, the prosecution presented its first witness, a Department of State Services (DSS) investigator identified by the pseudonym AAA, who testified that the defendants voluntarily made extra-judicial statements in the presence of their lawyer. The statements, which were electronically recorded and endorsed by both the defendants and their counsel, were admitted as evidence.
Justice Ibrahim subsequently convicted the three men and sentenced them to life imprisonment on the counts to which they pleaded guilty.
The court adjourned the case until September 16 and 17, 2026, for the continuation of trial on the remaining charges.
