A witness of the Department of State Services, DSS, on Thursday, narrated to the Federal High Court in Abuja, how the 49 kidnapped students and teachers of schools in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State were subjected to dehumanizing conditions for 56 days by their kidnappers.
The witness identified as ‘AAA’ for the protection of her identity, told Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim that they were moved to six different locations bare-footed and slept on grass under heavy rains and sunshine before security agents finally recused them from captivity.
The defendants accused of being members of the Jama’‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru) terrorist group are Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar); Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri); Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid); Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar).
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, DPPF, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the DSS witness told the court that their ordeal was particularly pathetic because children aged one and a half years from pre-nursery schools were among those held in captivity throughout the period.
The witness claimed that on the day they were abducted, a group of bandits armed to the teeth invaded the schools on 12 motorcycles, shooting sporadically and prevented students and teachers from escaping.
She said that the bandits “carted” the students and teachers away into the bush, with one motorcycle carrying about four persons, adding that a vehicle belonging to one of the teachers was also used to move other victims into the bush.
While in the bush, the witness said they were addressed by the bandits’ leader who told them that they were being held to negotiate for the release of their Ansaru group members and not for the purpose of ransom.
The witness said that, on two different occasions, two teachers among them – Deacon John Olaleye and Michael Oyedokun – were brought out and openly beheaded on the excuse that government was not serious in yielding to their demands for release of their detained members.
She also told the court that their phones were seized and that the phones were used to contact their relatives and government officials to relay their grievances to government.
The witness further said while inside the bush, they faced hunger and acute shortage of water, adding that about four persons were made to share a cup of water due to rationing.
She further said that at the initial stage, they were fed with rice, salt and palm oil but when salt got finished, the kidnappers resorted to feeding them with rice and palm oil and later only white rice when palm oil also got finished.
Further narrating their ordeal, the witness claimed that during meals, the little children among them were usually flogged by the kidnappers to prevent them from struggling for white rice, adding that they were served food inside a dirty rubber bucket like chicken.
Throughout the 56 days in captivity, the witness asserted that they had no opportunity of washing their clothes or taking their baths, which made them to become very dirty and exposed to diseases, before rescue came their way.
She further said that the victims had to close their eyes before they could drink the dirty water being served them by the kidnappers. She stressed that they had to drink the dirty water just to survive.
She said it was while they were at the sixth camp during the captivity that the security forces came and exchanged gun shots with the bandits to finally rescue them.
Meanwhile the defense lawyer, Bala Dakum, is to cross examine the DSS witness on September 18th.
Meanwhile, Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim has ordered that the defendants should remain in the custody of the DSS throughout the duration of their trial.
The seven count charge read:
1
“That you MAHMUD MUHAMMAD (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State and Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state respectively, sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an act of terrorism when you you ordered ABDULRAZAK UMAR (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), YUNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANI (aka Abu Itisar), your foot soldiers of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), a proscribed terrorist organization in Nigeria, to kidnap and kill innocent Nigerians (Victims) in different parts of Nigeria in the event of your arrest by the Nigerian government, to compel the government to accede to your demands, which instigated the kidnap of about 46 pupils and teachers of Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery/Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.
2
That you MAHMUD MUHAMMAD (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), ABDULRAZAK UMAR(aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), YYNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANTI (aka Abu Itisar), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state and Suleja LGA, Niger State respéctively sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an act of terrorism when you caused the death of Deacon John Olaleye, by decapitating him. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2 (3) (g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act.
3
That you MAHMUD MUHAMMAD (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), ABDULRAZAK UMAR(aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), YUNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANI (aka Abu Itisar), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state and Suleja LGA, Niger State respectively, sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction Of this Honourable Court, committed an act of terrorism when you caused the death of Michael Oyedokun. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2 (3) (g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.
4
That you MAHMUD MUHAMMAD (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), ABDULRAZAK UMAR(aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), YUNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANI (aka Abu Itisar), adults, males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state and Suleja LGA, Niger State respectively, sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an offence when you had information about an imminent acts of terrorism and kidnap of about fortysix (46) persons by Jama‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), A proscribed terrorist organization in Nigeria, which you knew to be of material assistance in securing the apprehension and conviction of the terrorists for acts of terrorism, but you failed to disclose the information to any Law Enforcement or Security Officer. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16 (1) of the Terrorism (Prevention, and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
5
That you, MAHMUD MUHAMMAD (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), ABDULRAZAK UMAR (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid) YUNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANI (aka Abu Itisar), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Daura. Local Government Area of Katsina state and Suleja LGA, Niger State respectively, sometime between January – May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State and Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence when_you_conspired_with Muhammed Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri) and others at large, to
kidnap about forty-six (46) persons inclusive of school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26 (1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.
6
That you, ABDULRAZAK UMAR (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), YUNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANI (aka Abu Itisar), Adults, Males, All of Suleja LGA, Niger State, sometime between JanuaryMay, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence when you aided Muhammed Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al Nigeri) in the kidnap of school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26 (2)(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the Act.
7
That you, MAHMUD MUHAMMAD (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State and Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state respectively, sometime between JanuaryMay, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence when you knowingly concealed information about an imminent act of terrorism by Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group which led to the 15″ May, 2026 kidnap of about forty-six (46) persons and killing of two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, knowing the information to be of material assistance in apprehending and preventing the commission of acts of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to any Law Enforcement or Security Officer, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section yi the Act.
