Politics
Three bag life imprisonment over Oyo school abduction
THREE men convicted over their involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The presiding judge, Salim Ibrahim, handed down the sentence on Thursday, ordering that the jail term should take effect from the date of their arrest.
The convicts, Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar), had earlier pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
The State Security Services (SSS) arrested the three men, all of whom are from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, before arraigning them on a 10-count charge.
During the proceedings, Umar pleaded guilty to counts four, six, seven, eight, nine and 10, while Musa and Sani admitted guilt to counts four and six.
The charges accused the defendants of concealing information between January and May about three alleged terrorists, Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab, who authorities identified as masterminds of the attack on schools in Oriire LGA. Prosecutors said the convicts failed to report the information to relevant security agencies.
The counsel to the convicts urged the court to temper justice with mercy, arguing that they were first-time offenders who had shown remorse by pleading guilty.
He further submitted that they were married men with children and elderly parents who depended on them. He urged the court to give them another chance.
The prosecution opposed the plea, maintaining that the convicts knowingly concealed information about the activities of the alleged terrorists and failed in their civic duty to alert security authorities.
The conviction followed the release of the abducted pupils and teachers, who regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity.
The ICIR reported that on May 15, heavily armed men attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele; and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers after killing at least one teacher.
The attack, regarded as the first mass school abduction in South-West Nigeria, sparked nationwide outrage and prompted the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to embark on an industrial action while demanding the victims’ release.
When the victims regained their freedom on July 10, the Presidency said they were rescued during a coordinated security operation, with eight suspected kidnappers arrested by the SSS and some members of the gang killed.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga also maintained that no ransom was paid, and no detained terror suspect was exchanged for the victims.
However, The ICIR later reported that one of the rescued teachers, Olatunde Zaccheaus, gave an account that contrasted the government’s narrative.
In a radio interview, Zaccheaus said their captors released them after removing their blindfolds and chains and directed them out of the forest before they trekked for hours and eventually encountered security operatives.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M