A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment over their involvement in the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, bringing a major legal breakthrough in one of Nigeria’s most shocking mass kidnapping cases this year.
The convicts, Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (Yunusa bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (Abu Itisar), pleaded guilty to several terrorism-related charges before Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court.
They admitted concealing information about the masterminds of the May 15 attack and being members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru. Umar also pleaded guilty to additional counts relating to terrorist training, incitement through a WhatsApp group and illegal gold mining used to finance terrorist activities.
The court ordered that the life sentences take effect from the dates of their arrest. While the trio denied directly carrying out the abduction itself, prosecutors said they knowingly concealed information about the terrorists responsible and maintained links with the group behind the attack.
The Oriire attack saw dozens of pupils, teachers and a toddler abducted from three schools and held captive for 56 days before a joint military-led operation secured their release. The case also exposed how terrorist groups allegedly fund their operations through activities such as illegal mining, a growing concern for Nigerian security agencies.
The judgment comes as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle terror financing networks and prosecute not only those who carry out attacks but also those accused of supporting or facilitating them. Further proceedings involving other suspects connected to the kidnapping are expected to continue.
