The Federal High Court in Abuja has handed down life sentences to three individuals involved in the abduction of students and staff from a school in the Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Justice Salim Ibrahim issued the ruling after the defendants admitted guilt to specific charges brought by the Federal Government.
The convicted individuals are Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa, known as Yunusa bin Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, identified as Abu Itisar. The group faced a 10-count indictment involving terrorism, kidnapping, and the illegal concealment of information. They specifically acknowledged hiding details regarding the primary organizers of the school attack and admitted to being members of the Darul Salam group, an affiliate of the banned organization Ansaru.
While all three men entered guilty pleas for counts four and six, the primary defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, additionally confessed to four counts related to training terrorists through a WhatsApp group. The defendants maintained their innocence regarding the remaining charges. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, successfully moved for sentencing based on the counts where guilt was established.
Prosecutors alleged that the trio, all residents of Suleja in Niger State, collaborated with accomplices between January and May 2026 to carry out the kidnapping. Their actions violated the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022, leading to their current incarceration.
