A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their roles in the kidnapping of students and teachers from a school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Drivetvnews gathered that Justice Salim Ibrahim handed down the sentence after the defendants—Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (Abu Itisar)—pleaded guilty to some of the charges filed against them by the Federal Government.
The trio faced a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining.
During the proceedings, the defendants admitted concealing information about those behind the school abduction and acknowledged being members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of the banned terrorist group Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru).
All three defendants pleaded guilty to counts four and six of the charge. Umar additionally admitted guilt to counts seven through ten, which accused him of providing terrorist training and instructions through a WhatsApp group known as “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
However, the defendants denied the remaining allegations.
Following their guilty pleas, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), urged the court to convict and sentence them on the charges they had admitted.
According to the prosecution, the convicts conspired with other suspects between January and May 2026 to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State. They were also accused of assisting the kidnappers, concealing information about the operation, and belonging to a proscribed terrorist organisation, all in violation of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
After considering the guilty pleas, the court sentenced the three men to life imprisonment.
