Three Get Life Terms Over Oyo School Abduction
Three men received life sentences after admitting terrorism-related offences connected to the kidnapping of students and teachers in Oyo State.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offences linked to the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Justice Salim Ibrahim convicted Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa Bin Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar. The judge ruled that their life imprisonment terms would begin from the date they were arrested.
The Department of State Services (DSS) prosecuted the three defendants on a 10-count charge that included terrorism-related offences, kidnapping, concealing information and other related crimes. During the hearing, defence counsel urged the court to reduce the sentence. The lawyer described the defendants as first-time offenders who accepted responsibility by pleading guilty. He also told the court that they had families, including children and elderly parents who depended on them, and argued that several charges were not directly connected to the kidnapping. He asked the court to give them an opportunity to rebuild their lives.
The prosecution opposed the request, arguing that the defendants knowingly hid information about terrorist activities despite understanding what was taking place. It maintained that they had a duty as Nigerian citizens to report intelligence on terrorist operations to security agencies rather than conceal it.
All three men admitted belonging to a banned terrorist organisation and concealing information about the planning and execution of the Oyo school abduction. Abdulrazak Umar also pleaded guilty to additional counts involving alleged terrorist training, passing operational instructions and encouraging members of a terrorist organisation through the promotion of a particular religious ideology.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants, who are from Niger State, withheld intelligence about people linked to terrorist activities, participated in kidnapping operations and used a messaging platform to support terrorist training and coordination. The DSS accused them of concealing information that could have prevented attacks and assisting a proscribed terrorist group. After reviewing their guilty pleas, the court convicted the three men and imposed life imprisonment.
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