Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja for their roles in the Oyo School Abduction, after pleading guilty to terrorism-related offences connected to the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Key Highlights
- Federal High Court sentenced three convicts to life imprisonment.
- Convicts pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges.
- DSS prosecuted the suspects on a 10-count charge.
- Court convicted them for belonging to a proscribed terrorist organisation and withholding intelligence.
- Case is linked to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State.
- Judgment marks a significant step in the prosecution of those behind the school kidnapping.
Justice Salim Ibrahim delivered the judgment on Thursday after the defendants, Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (alias Yunusa Bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (also called Abu Itisar), admitted guilt to charges brought against them by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Although the DSS arraigned the suspects on a 10-count charge, the trio pleaded guilty to offences bordering on membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation and withholding intelligence regarding the group’s activities.
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Following their guilty pleas, the court convicted each of the defendants and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
The prosecution told the court that the convicts belonged to the criminal network responsible for the Oyo School Abduction, during which pupils and teachers were kidnapped in Orire Local Government Area. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over the security of schools across Nigeria.
The judgment is regarded as a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to prosecute those involved in terrorism and school abductions, with security agencies expected to continue investigations into other members of the criminal network.
