The Nigerian Government on Friday filed a 10-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against three men over the kidnap of pupils and teachers from a school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Penpushing reports that the defendants include, Abdulrazak Umar, known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa known as Yunusa bin Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as as Abu Itisar.
The trio are accused of terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement and illegal mining, while all of them are said to be from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
Penpushing further reports that the first count accused the trio of conspiring with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab, sometime between January and May, to kidnap the schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
The prosecution said the offence contravened Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, while counts two and three accused them of actively aiding the same three men in carrying out the kidnapping, contrary to Section 26(2) of the Act.
Penpushing also reports that counts four and five bordered on concealment, while defendants were accused of knowing the identities of Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab as the masterminds of the kidnapping,
The charges declared that the accused of being aware of the abduction itself, yet failing in both instances to report the information to security operatives to enable their arrest, however, both counts cited Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Act.
Penpushing reports that the sixth count accused all three of professing membership of Darul Salam, described in the charge sheet as an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan, or Ansaru, a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
The alleged offence was said to have occurred on or about June 2 and to contravene Section 25(1) of the Act, while counts seven to nine were levelled solely against Umar, who was said to be resident of Sandako, Suleja.
Penpushing further reports that Umar was accused of providing training and instruction to terrorists through a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace” in July, an offence said to contravene Sections 15 and 2(2)(g) of the Terrorism Act.
The accused was equally accused of using preachings on the same platform to incite members to commit acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Penpushing also reports that count 10 against Umar alone, accused him of engaging in illegal gold mining at streams in the Chaza area of Suleja between 2024 and 2026, without lawful authority, contrary to Section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The charges relate to the mass abduction that shook Oyo State on May 15, 2026 when gunmen stormed Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire.
The earlier official accounts put the number of victims at 46, made up of 39 pupils and seven teachers, while two people lost their lives in connection with the attack, however, the assistant headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, was killed while trying to escape during the raid.
Penpushing reports that a Mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded by the terrorists during the 56 days that followed, however, the rest of the abductees regained freedom from captivity on July 10, 2026 after an intelligence-led military operation targeted the kidnappers’ hideouts in the Old Oyo National Park.
The Nigerian Army said 44 pupils and teachers were freed and eight suspected gang members arrested, while the Presidency insisted no ransom was paid and no concessions were made to the kidnappers, who had reportedly demanded N1 billion and the release of a detained commander.
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