Three persons accused of complicity in the kidnap of school children and three teachers in Oyo State were yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The trio, all indigenes of Suleija in Niger State, are Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yinusa Musa (alias Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
They were convicted and sentenced by Justice Salim Ibrahim shortly after pleading guilty to some counts, of the 10, contained in a charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/412/2026.
The charges were filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation barely a week after the abductees were rescued by troops, thereby ending their 56-days in captivity.
Two of the three teachers– Michael Oyedokun John Olaleye — were killed by the abductors.
The charges against the three men included terrorism, conspiracy, aiding kidnapping and concealment of terrorist activities.
They were, in counts one to six, charged with conspiracy, aiding in the commission of kidnapping, concealment of information about activities of terrorists and information about the kidnap of the schoolchildren and their teachers in May.
Besides, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of professing membership of Darul Salam, an affiliate of Jamadadtu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist group in Nigeria.
Umar is separately charged, in counts seven to 10, with training and instructing terrorists via a WhatsApp group titled “The oneness of Allah is the foundation of peace, incitement and engaging in illegal gold mining.’’
The three pleaded guilty to counts four and six, relating to concealment of information about the activities of those behind the abduction and professing to be members of Darul Salam.
Umar, listed as the first defendant, was the only one mentioned in counts seven, eight, nine and 10. He pleaded guilty to all four counts.
In his ruling, Justice Ibrahim sentenced them to the maximum jail term of life imprisonment on count six and 25 years on count four.
Also, the judge sentenced Umar to life imprisonment on counts seven, nine and 10. But he gave him 20 years on count eight. Oriire abductions: I’m ready to risk my life to secure release of captives, says Makinde
The judge then adjourned till September 16 for the commencement of trial on the remaining counts – one, two, three and five – to which they pleaded not guilty.
The counts in the charge read:
•That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yinusa Musa (a k a Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamu Adamu Sani (a k a Abu Itisar), adults all of Suleja LGA, Niger State, sometime between January and May, 2026 at Suleja LGA, Niger State, committed an offence when you conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab to kidnap school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
•That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yinusa Musa (a k a Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamu Adamu Sani (a k a Abu Itisar), adults all of Suleja LGA, Niger State, sometime between January and May, 2026 at Suleja LGA, Niger State, committed an offence when you aided Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab in the kidnap of school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 26(3) of the Act.
•That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yinusa Musa (a k a Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamu Adamu Sani (a k a Abu Itisar), adults all of Suleja LGA, Niger State, sometime between January May, 2026 at Suleja LGA, Niger State, committed an offence when you aided Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab in the kidnap of school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 26(3) of the Act.
•That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yinusa Musa (a k a Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamu Adamu Sani (a k a Abu Itisar), adults, all of Suleja LGA, Niger State sometime between January May, 2026 at Suleja LGA, Niger State, did commit an offence to wit: concealment, in that you had information about Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab as terrorists, who are masterminds of the kidnap of school children and teachers of Orire LGA of Oyo State, but failed to report same to the relevant security operatives. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
•That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yinusa Musa (a k a Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamu Adamu Sani (a k a Abu Itisar), adults, all of Suleja LGA, Niger State sometime between January May, 2026 at Suleja LGA, Niger State, did commit an offence to wit: concealment, in that you had information about the kidnap of school children and teachers of Orire LGA of Oyo State by Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab, but failed to report same to the relevant security operatives to facilitate their apprehension. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
•That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yinusa Musa (a k a Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamu Adamu Sani (a k a Abu Itisar), adults all of Suleja LGA, Niger State on or about the 2nd June, 2026 at Suleja LGA, Niger State, did commit an offence to wit: membership, when you professed to be members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of Jamadadtu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist group in Nigeria. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act
•That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), male, adult of Sandako, Suleja LGA, Niger State on or about July, 2026 at Suleja LGA, Niger State, did commit an offence in that you provided training and instructions to terrorists via your whatsapp group titled “The oneness of Allah is the foundation of peace.” You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
*That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), male, adult of Sandako, Suleja LGA, Niger State, on or about July at Suleja LGA, Niger State, did commit an offence, in that you provided training and instructions to terrorists via your WhatsApp group titled “The oneness of Allah is the foundation of peace.” You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2(2)(g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
*That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), male, adult of Sandako, Suleja LGA, Niger State, on or about July at Suleja LGA, Niger State, did commit an offence when you incited your members on your WhatsApp group titled: “The oneness of Allah is the foundation of peace,” through your preachings to commit acts of terrorism. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
*That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Male, adult of Sandako, Suleja LGA, Niger State, sometime between 20242026 at Chaza Area, Suleja LGA, Niger State, did commit an offence in that you engaged in mining of gold at streams in Chaza area, Suleja LGA, Niger State without lawful authority. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, LFN 2004 and punishable under the same Section of the Act.
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News Credit to our media partner The Nation .
