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Nigerian Government Arraigns Three Suspects in Abuja Over Abduction of Oyo School Pupils
Nigerian Government Arraigns Three Suspects in Abuja Over Abduction of Oyo School Pupils
TERRORISM
The Nigerian Record
7/18/20262 min read
Three suspects from the Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining in connection with the abduction of pupils and teachers from a school in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The Nigerian government filed the charges against the defendants — Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani — before the court on Friday.
According to the charge, Abdulrazak Umar is also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa is also known as Yunusa bin Musa, while Shamsu Adamu Sani is also known as Abu Itisar. The three defendants are all natives of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
The prosecution accused the trio of terrorism-related offences, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining arising from the abduction of pupils and teachers from a school in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May to carry out the kidnapping of the schoolchildren and their teachers.
The Federal Government alleged that the conspiracy violated Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, the defendants were accused of facilitating the abduction and deliberately concealing information regarding the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having prior knowledge of the planned operation.
The prosecution further alleged that the three men failed to disclose information that could have prevented the attack and instead aided those behind the kidnapping.
The 10-count charge also includes allegations of incitement and illegal mining, although the full details of those counts were not immediately available.
The case marks the Federal Government's latest prosecution under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as authorities intensify efforts to tackle kidnapping and other terrorism-related crimes across the country.
The matter was filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, where the three defendants were formally arraigned on the charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
The court is expected to continue proceedings in line with the provisions of the law.
Previously, SaharaReporters reported that pupils and teachers abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State regained their freedom after their captors allegedly abandoned them deep inside a forest while fleeing from a security operation mounted by a joint task force. The rescue was reported on Friday, July 10, 2026.
It was learnt that the operation, which culminated in the rescue of all the surviving hostages, followed days of ground assaults by security personnel who reportedly advanced into the forest from multiple directions, engaging suspected kidnappers in a series of encounters.
The rescue brought to an end a traumatic ordeal that began on May 15, 2026, when armed bandits invaded three schools in Oriire Local Government Area and abducted more than 39 pupils and teachers in one of the most shocking school attacks recorded in Oyo State.
Earlier, one of the kidnap victims, Bello Hassan, while recounting his experience, noted that the kidnappers spoke Hausa, Fulani and English respectively.