By A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their roles in the abduction of 46 pupils and teachers from three schools in Oyo State earlier this year.
Justice Salim Ibrahim convicted Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (Yunusa bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (Abu Itisar) on terrorism and kidnapping-related charges. The sentence takes effect from the date each man was arrested.
What Happened in Oyo
On May 15, gunmen attacked Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. They abducted 39 pupils and seven teachers. Two staff members were killed during the attack: the assistant headmaster, who was shot while trying to escape, and a mathematics teacher, who the kidnappers killed.
The kidnappers reportedly demanded ₦1 billion in ransom and the release of a detained commander. The Presidency says neither demand was met.
On July 10, the Nigerian Army rescued 44 of the captives following an intelligence-led operation that traced the kidnappers to a hideout in the Old Oyo National Park. Eight suspected members of the gang were arrested in that operation.
Who Was Convicted, and For What
The three men sentenced this week, all from Suleja in Niger State, were separately arraigned afterwards on a 10-count charge covering terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining.
Prosecutors say the men belong to Darul Salam, a group linked to Ansaru, a proscribed terrorist organization in Nigeria. They were accused of conspiring with other suspects, named in court as Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed, and Ibrahim Khabab, between January and May to help plan the school abduction, and of knowing who was behind the attack without reporting it to authorities.
All three pleaded guilty to counts four and six of the charge, covering concealment of information and membership of the group. Umar alone also admitted to a separate count accusing him of using a WhatsApp platform, named after a religious phrase invoking the oneness of God, to train and instruct other members. All three denied the remaining counts.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who led the prosecution, asked the court to sentence the men on the counts they had admitted to. Defence lawyers asked for leniency, describing the men as first-time offenders with families depending on them. Prosecutors countered that the men had a duty to report what they knew and failed to do so. The court sentenced all three to life imprisonment on the counts to which they pleaded guilty.
The Bigger Picture
From the attack in May to sentencing this week, the case moved through rescue, arraignment, and trial in a little over two months, notably fast for a terrorism case in Nigeria, where such trials often take years to conclude. It’s a rare instance of a kidnapping-for-ransom case reaching a full legal resolution rather than fading from public attention after a rescue.
Source: Punch Newspapers
