The Federal Government has filed a 10-count terrorism charge against three men accused of orchestrating the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as survivors continue to reveal details of their 56-day ordeal in captivity.
The suspects, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa), Yunusa Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), were arraigned before the Federal High Court on charges bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement and illegal mining. Prosecutors allege they conspired with other members of the terrorist group between January and May 2026 to carry out the mass abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
Meanwhile, one of the rescued teachers, Zacchaeus Olatunde, has shared a harrowing account of life in captivity. He said the victims were permanently blindfolded, initially forbidden from praying in the name of Jesus, and only later allowed to pray under strict conditions.
Olatunde also revealed that after weeks in the forest, the kidnappers began washing the captives’ clothes because they had started smelling, explaining why many appeared unusually clean after their rescue. He stressed that the captives never knew where they were being held and described their eventual freedom as miraculous.
The victims, 39 pupils and seven teachers, were rescued on 10 July following a multi-agency operation involving the military, DSS, police and other security agencies. Authorities have maintained that no ransom was paid and that several suspects were arrested during the operation, while investigations into the kidnapping continue.
