The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment over their involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Justice Salim Ibrahim delivered the judgment on Thursday, sentencing Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa, and Shamsudin Sani after finding them guilty in connection with the kidnapping case.
The Federal Government had arraigned the three suspects for their alleged roles in the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area between January and May 2026.
During the proceedings, the convicts also admitted to being members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru.
The court heard that Umar and Sani pleaded guilty to charges of providing training, issuing instructions, and inciting members of a WhatsApp group known as “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
In addition, Umar admitted to illegally mining gold in streams located in the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State without the required legal authorization.
Although the trio accepted responsibility for some of the charges, they pleaded not guilty to other counts brought against them.
While delivering the sentence, Justice Ibrahim ordered that the life imprisonment terms should take effect from the date the convicts were arrested.
“The life sentence shall commence from the date of the defendants’ arrest,” the judge ruled.
Before sentencing, defence counsel appealed to the court to temper justice with mercy, arguing that the defendants were first-time offenders who had shown remorse by pleading guilty.
The lawyer also told the court that the offences to which the defendants admitted were not directly related to the kidnapping allegations.
“They are first-time offenders who have demonstrated remorse. They are married men with children and elderly parents who depend on them. We urge the court to give them a second chance by imposing a lenient sentence,” the defence counsel pleaded.
However, the prosecution urged the court to reject the plea for leniency, arguing that the convicts had knowledge of terrorist activities and failed to alert security authorities.
“They were aware of those operating on the battlefield. As responsible Nigerians, they ought to have reported such information to the relevant authorities instead of remaining silent,” the prosecution submitted.
After considering the arguments from both sides, the court imposed life imprisonment on the three convicts, bringing to a close one of the prosecutions arising from the kidnapping of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
