Three men accused of involvement in the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State have pleaded guilty to multiple terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The defendants are Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, alias Abu Itisar.
Federal prosecutors filed 10 charges against the suspects last Friday. During their first appearance before the court on Thursday, the three men pleaded guilty to eight of the counts.
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation is prosecuting the case. Operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) arrested the suspects, all of whom are from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
The charges stem from the abduction of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on 15 May.
Abdulrazak Umar pleaded guilty to Counts Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten, all of which relate solely to him. Prosecutors accused Umar of providing terrorist training through a WhatsApp group titled The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace. They also accused him of using the platform to incite members to commit acts of terrorism. The final count accused Umar of unlawfully mining gold in the Chaza area of Suleja between 2024 and 2026.
Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani each pleaded guilty to Counts Four and Six. Count Four alleged that the pair concealed information about three suspected terrorist masterminds. The prosecution identified them as Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab.
Count Six accused the two men of professing membership of Darul Salam. Prosecutors described the group as an affiliate of the banned terrorist organisation Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru).
The prosecution alleged that the three defendants conspired with the suspects between January and May to organise the kidnapping. It further alleged that they helped facilitate the abduction. Prosecutors said the defendants failed to alert security agencies despite having prior knowledge of the plot.
The government also accused the defendants of concealing information about the alleged masterminds. It further alleged that they supported a proscribed terrorist organisation. The charge sheet also includes counts bordering on conspiracy, aiding kidnapping, cyber-related offences and unlawful mining.
