Three men standing trial over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have pleaded guilty to charges of concealing information about the alleged masterminds of the attack.
The defendants — 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 — entered their guilty plea to the concealment-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
The Federal Government had, on July 17, filed a 10-count charge against the trio over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire LGA between January and May 2026.
The charges include terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, unlawful membership of a terrorist organisation, cyber-related offences and illegal mining.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants, all from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, allegedly conspired with three other suspects identified as Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab to facilitate the abduction of the victims in Oyo State.
Prosecutors alleged that the three men aided the kidnappers and deliberately withheld information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having prior knowledge of the operation. They were also accused of failing to alert security agencies to enable the arrest of those responsible.
The Federal Government further alleged that the defendants 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, an offence under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
While all three defendants are facing the first six counts, Abdulrazak Umar is separately charged with providing training and instructions to terrorists through a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
He is also accused of using the platform to incite members to commit acts of terrorism, contrary to the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
In addition, Umar faces a separate charge of engaging in unlawful gold mining at streams in the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area between 2024 and 2026 without lawful authority, contrary to the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The prosecution maintained that the offences were committed within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court and are punishable under the relevant provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, the Cybercrime Act and the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
A security source familiar with the case said investigations into the matter have been concluded, paving the way for the commencement of trial on the remaining charges after the defendants admitted to concealing information relating to the kidnapping plot.
The Oriire school kidnapping was one of several attacks targeting educational institutions in Nigeria and renewed concerns over the safety of schools and the activities of terrorist-linked groups operating across parts of the country.
