By Jeremy Fregene
The Federal Government has arraigned two alleged commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group and three other suspects over the abduction and beheading of two teachers kidnapped from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The five defendants were brought before a vacation judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Salim Ibrahim, on fresh terrorism-related charges.
Among those arraigned are alleged Ansaru commanders Abubakar Abba Mahmuda, also known as Abu Bara’a, and Abubakar Abbas, alias Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri.
The Department of State Services (DSS), which arrested the two commanders in August 2025, identified the remaining three defendants as foot soldiers allegedly involved in the deadly attack on the schools in Oriire.
After taking their pleas, Justice Ibrahim ordered that all five defendants be remanded in the custody of the DSS and fixed September 24 for the commencement of their trial.
The fresh arraignment comes barely a week after the same court sentenced three other defendants to life imprisonment over their roles in the Oriire school kidnapping.
On July 23, Justice Ibrahim convicted Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa, alias Yunusa bin Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, alias Abu Itisar, after they pleaded guilty to some of the charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
The three were prosecuted on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining.
They admitted concealing information about the masterminds of the school attack and acknowledged belonging to Darul Salam, which prosecutors described as an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist organisation Jamaatu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru).
While all three admitted guilt to counts relating to concealment of information and membership of the terrorist network, only Umar pleaded guilty to additional charges accusing him of training terrorists through a WhatsApp group known as “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”
He was also accused of engaging in illegal gold mining activities in the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area between 2024 and 2026, contrary to the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Despite their guilty pleas on some counts, the three convicts maintained that they did not physically participate in the Oriire school attack and denied the remaining allegations against them.
The court fixed September 16 and 17 for their trial on the outstanding counts.
The DSS has indicated its intention to challenge the life sentences imposed on the three convicts, arguing that the gravity of the offences warranted the death penalty.
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