Breaking: Court sentences three to life imprisonment over Orire school kidnapping

Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja for their roles in the kidnapping of students and teachers from a school in Orire, Oyo State. The convictions followed the defendants' guilty pleas to several charges brought against them by the Federal Government.

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three persons to life in prison over their complicity in the kidnapping of students and teachers of a school in Orire Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State.

Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani were found guilty by Justice Salim Ibrahim. They admitted to concealing information about the individuals behind the school attack and confirmed their membership in Darul Salam, an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist group Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru). While all three pleaded guilty to counts four and six, related to concealing information, Umar also admitted guilt on counts seven through ten concerning providing training and instructions to terrorists via a WhatsApp group.

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Justice Salim Ibrahim convicted and sentenced the defendants, Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar), after they pleaded guilty to some of the allegations the Federal Government levelled against them.

The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, persuaded the court to sentence the defendants based on the charges they admitted. The court's decision addresses a serious security incident that occurred between January and May 2026, when the accused allegedly conspired with others to abduct school children and teachers in Oyo State. Their actions violated provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including aiding kidnapping and concealing information about the plot.

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The defendants were, on Thursday, docked before the court on a 10-count charge that bordered on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement, and illegal mining.

The Federal Government further alleged that the defendants confessed to membership in a proscribed group around June 2, breaching Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The convicts, all originating from Suleja LGA of Niger State, faced charges that also included illegal mining and incitement, highlighting the multifaceted nature of their alleged criminal activities.

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Following their arraignment, they admitted that they concealed information about the masterminds of the school attack.