The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced plans to appeal the life imprisonment sentence handed to three convicted members of the Ansaru terrorist group for their involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Drivetvnews gathered that the agency said it believes the punishment does not reflect the seriousness of the offences, especially the killing of two teachers during the attack.
According to the DSS, the beheading of the teachers amounts to a capital offence that should attract the death penalty under Nigerian law.
The decision follows Thursday’s judgment by Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who sentenced the three defendants to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offences.
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).
The court found them guilty of belonging to Darul Salam, an affiliate of the proscribed Ansaru terrorist organisation, concealing information relating to the school abduction, and promoting extremist ideology.
Abdulrazak Umar also admitted to additional charges involving the provision of terrorist training, issuing operational directives, and indoctrinating members through extremist religious teachings.
The defendants, all from Niger State, were prosecuted on a 10-count charge that included terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, and facilitating terrorist activities under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that the men knowingly withheld information about terrorist operations, participated in the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers, and used digital platforms to organise training and coordinate terrorist activities.
Justice Ibrahim sentenced all three defendants to life imprisonment on one of the counts, while Abdulrazak Umar received additional life sentences on other terrorism-related charges.
Reacting to the verdict, the DSS welcomed the convictions but maintained that the punishment was inadequate considering the gravity of the crimes. The agency said it would appeal the judgment, insisting that the murder of the two teachers deserves the maximum penalty allowed by law.
The development comes shortly after another Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced two senior Ansaru commanders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (also known as Mallam Mamuda), to life imprisonment over separate terrorism-related offences.
