BREAKING: FG Slams Terrorism Charges on Three Suspects Over Oyo School Abduction

The Federal Government has arraigned three men before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 10-count terrorism charge in connection with the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

According to Premium Times, the defendants, identified as Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (Yunusa Bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (Abu Itisar), are facing charges bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and alleged membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation.

According to court documents filed by the Federal Government, the suspects allegedly played various roles in the kidnapping of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire LGA on 15 May 2026. Prosecutors accused them of aiding the principal masterminds of the attack, concealing information that could have assisted security agencies, and failing to report the activities of the alleged terrorists despite having prior knowledge.

The charge further alleges that the three defendants professed membership of Darul Salam, an affiliate of Ansaru (Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan), a terrorist group proscribed by the Nigerian government. The Federal Government maintains that the suspects’ actions contravened provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

The Oyo school abduction, which shocked the nation, involved dozens of pupils and teachers who were kidnapped after gunmen attacked multiple schools in the Oriire area. The incident heightened concerns over the spread of school-related kidnappings beyond Nigeria’s northern region into the South-West.

The latest prosecution underscores the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to holding those responsible for terrorism and mass abductions accountable through the judicial process.

The case has been adjourned by the Federal High Court for further proceedings.