Three men have been arraigned by the Federal Government before the Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged roles in the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The defendants—Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani—were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) and are standing trial on a 10-count charge.
The charges include terrorism, conspiracy to kidnap, concealment of information, incitement to terrorism, and illegal mining.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly worked with three other suspects identified as Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab to plan and execute the kidnapping between January and May 2026.
The Federal Government told the court that the defendants allegedly concealed vital information concerning the identities and activities of the suspected masterminds despite allegedly having prior knowledge of the planned attack.
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Court filings also alleged that the suspects declared membership of Darul Salam, described by the prosecution as an affiliate of the outlawed terrorist group Ansaru.
The prosecution further accused the first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, of playing a leading operational role by allegedly training members and disseminating extremist messages through a WhatsApp group known as “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
Authorities said the alleged conduct violates provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Apart from the terrorism allegations, Umar is also accused of illegally mining gold in the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State between 2024 and 2026 without lawful authorisation.
The case is expected to proceed with the presentation of evidence by the prosecution, after which the court will determine the liability of the accused persons based on the facts established during trial.
