Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja over their involvement in the kidnapping of students and teachers at a school in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The convicts, Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar, were convicted after pleading guilty to some of the charges filed against them by the Federal Government.
The trio had been arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining. They admitted concealing information about the masterminds behind the school attack and also pleaded guilty to being members of Darul Salam, which the prosecution identified as an affiliate of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), a terrorist organisation banned in Nigeria.
While all three defendants pleaded guilty to counts four and six, Abdulrazak Umar separately admitted guilt to counts seven, eight, nine and 10. The additional charges alleged that he provided training and instructions to terrorists through a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.” However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the remaining charges.
According to the charges, the three men, all from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State, contrary to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The Federal Government also alleged that the defendants knowingly concealed information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite being aware of the kidnapping plot. Prosecutors further accused them of professing membership of Darul Salam on or about June 2, 2026, an offence under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Leading the prosecution, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants on the counts to which they had pleaded guilty.
Delivering judgment, Justice Salim Ibrahim found the three men guilty on the admitted charges and sentenced each of them to life imprisonment.
The remaining counts against the defendants will proceed to trial since they denied the other allegations contained in the charge.
The three men were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) following investigations into the school kidnapping, which attracted nationwide attention earlier this year. Court documents also alleged that Abdulrazak Umar used the WhatsApp platform, “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace,” to provide training, instructions and messages encouraging terrorist activities.
In addition to the terrorism-related charges, Umar was accused of engaging in illegal gold mining in streams within the Chaza area of Suleja between 2024 and 2026 without lawful authorisation.
Security sources familiar with the investigation said the DSS concluded extensive investigations before filing the charges, adding that other individuals linked to the case are still being investigated.
