The Federal Government has arraigned three men before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The suspects—Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani—were charged on Friday with a 10-count offence bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining.
According to court documents, Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa; and Sani, also known as Abu Itisar, are all from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired with three other suspects—Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed, and Ibrahim Khabab—between January and May 2026 to orchestrate the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
The Federal Government further accused the defendants of aiding the abduction and deliberately concealing information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having prior knowledge of the plot.
The prosecution said the alleged offences contravene Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The charges are connected to the mass abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, where victims spent 56 days in captivity before regaining their freedom following a security operation.
The case is expected to proceed before the Federal High Court as the government continues efforts to prosecute those linked to the abduction.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.