Politics
FG arraigns three over Oyo school abduction
THE Federal Government has arraigned three men arrested and investigated by the State Security Services (SSS) over the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The accused were charged with terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining.
The defendants 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 appeared before the court on Friday on a 10-count charge filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
According to the charge sheet, the three defendants, all from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, allegedly conspired with three other suspects identified as Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to abduct schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
The prosecution alleged that the conspiracy violated Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The Federal Government further accused the defendants of facilitating the abduction by providing support to the kidnappers and deliberately concealing information about the identities, movements and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having prior knowledge of the plot.
They were also charged with incitement and illegal mining-related offences.
On May 15, 2026, heavily gunmen attacked Community Grammar School in Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The attackers, reportedly dressed in military camouflage, stormed the schools on motorcycles, shot dead a teacher during the attack and abducted dozens of pupils, students and teachers before fleeing into the forests surrounding the Old Oyo National Park.
Authorities later confirmed that 39 pupils and students and seven teachers were taken hostage during the coordinated attacks. Days into captivity, one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was killed by the kidnappers, sparking nationwide outrage and protests by parents, teachers, and civil society groups demanding the victims’ release.
The abduction triggered a large-scale security operation involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes.
After 56 days in captivity, the Presidency announced on July 11 that the victims had been rescued alive during an intelligence-led operation.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said no prisoner swap or ransom concession was made, noting that the terrorist commander whose release had been demanded by the kidnappers remained in custody and was facing prosecution.
Following the rescue, security agencies confirmed that several suspects were arrested during the operation and transferred to the custody of the SSS for further investigation..
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.