The trio face a 10-count charge covering terrorism, kidnapping, concealment and illegal mining, with the matter now before the courts
The federal government has arraigned three men before the Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire local government area of Oyo State. The matter is now before the courts and the case is sub judice.
The 10-count charge, filed by the Department of State Services on Friday, accuses Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar, of offences bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement and illegal mining.
What the charges allege against the Oriire suspects
According to the charge sheet, the defendants, all said to be from Suleja local government area of Niger State, allegedly conspired with three others, Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab, currently at large, between January and May 2026 to kidnap pupils and teachers in Oriire, contrary to section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The government also alleged that the trio aided the abduction and concealed information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having knowledge of the plot, and failed to report information about the alleged masterminds and the planned abduction to security agencies, an offence said to contravene section 16(1) of the Act.
In a further count, the federal government alleged that on or about 2 June 2026, the three men professed membership of Darul Salam, described in the charge as an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
Additional charges against Abdulrazak Umar
In a separate charge, the federal government alleged that Umar provided training and instructions to terrorists through a WhatsApp group named
“The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace,” and used the platform to incite members to commit acts of terrorism, offences said to contravene provisions of both the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Umar was also accused of unlawfully mining gold in streams located in the Chaza area of Suleja local government area between 2024 and 2026 without lawful authority, an alleged offence said to be contrary to section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
A security source said other suspects remain under investigation.
“Others are still being probed as the agency is insistent on diligent investigation,” the source said.
The case adds to a string of recent prosecutions under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as security agencies continue efforts to track down the remaining suspects still at large, Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab, named in the charge sheet as the alleged masterminds of the kidnapping.
The Department of State Services has not disclosed a date for the next court appearance in the matter.
Background
Armed bandits attacked Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele, and Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, both in Oriire local government area of Oyo State, on 15 May 2026, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers, including a school principal. A teacher and a commercial motorcyclist were killed during the initial attack.
Days later, the abductors killed Michael Oyedokun, one of the abducted teachers, while in captivity. On 10 July, the federal government announced that all remaining abductees had been rescued following a joint security operation.
The Oriire abduction was one of the longest-running mass school kidnappings in recent Nigerian history, lasting 56 days before the joint military and police operation secured the release of the remaining captives. The rescue operation itself claimed the lives of three security personnel, for which the Senate has since approved a N50 million donation to affected families, alongside the families of the two teachers who died.
