A survivor of the May 2026 school abduction in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has confirmed the identities of two teachers who were killed while in captivity, but told a Federal High Court in Abuja that she did not witness their deaths.
The witness, identified only as AAA for security reasons, made the disclosure on Friday while testifying in the ongoing trial of five men accused of involvement in the activities of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, popularly known as Ansaru.
AAA identified the slain teachers as Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, saying other victims recovered their bodies after the killings.
She told Justice Salim Ibrahim that Oyedokun was killed at a location referred to as Camp A, while Olaleye was killed at another camp.
However, under cross-examination by defence counsel Bala Dakum, the witness stressed that she was not present when either teacher was killed and therefore could not identify the individuals responsible.
Her evidence is significant because the Federal Government’s amended charge against the five defendants specifically alleges that the May 15 abduction resulted in the deaths of Oyedokun and Olaleye.
The prosecution alleges that Olaleye was decapitated and that the defendants were involved in the terrorism-related offences connected with the attack.
AAA was among about 46 pupils and staff members abducted from schools in Oriire.
She had earlier told the court that the victims spent 56 days in captivity, during which they were moved through different locations in the forest and subjected to harsh conditions.
During Friday’s cross-examination, she said the abductors supplied food to the captives only at their convenience, despite the presence of very young children among the victims.
She also disclosed that the abductors used the victims’ mobile phones to communicate with government officials during the captivity.
However, she said she did not know the telephone numbers of the officials contacted.
According to the witness, the ordeal left victims severely traumatised during and after their 56 days in captivity.
AAA further told the court that she was interrogated by operatives of the Department of State Services after her rescue, both at the DSS office and while she was receiving medical treatment in hospital.
Responding to questions from the defence, she acknowledged that three of the five defendants currently standing trial were with the victims in the forest during the period of their captivity.
She said the victims only learnt the identities of the other two defendants during interrogation at the DSS office following their rescue.
The witness nevertheless maintained that her knowledge of the deaths of Oyedokun and Olaleye did not amount to eyewitness knowledge of who killed them.
Her testimony followed evidence she gave on Thursday, when she described how armed men invaded the schools on May 15, took pupils and teachers into the forest and subjected them to an extended period of captivity.
Five defendants – Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam or Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar – are facing terrorism-related charges before the court. They have pleaded not guilty to the amended charges.
The Federal Government alleges that the defendants were involved in the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire and related terrorism offences, including the alleged killing of Oyedokun and Olaleye. Those allegations remain before the court.
Justice Ibrahim adjourned the case until October 12 and 13, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
