By Seyi Odewale
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday re-arraigned five men accused of participating in the May 15, 2026 abduction of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as a prosecution witness narrated their harrowing 56-day captivity.
The witness, identified only as “AAA” for security reasons, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the victims were moved through six different locations during their captivity, often barefoot and forced to sleep on grass while exposed to heavy rain and intense sunshine.
She said the victims endured severe hunger, inadequate water and harsh treatment, with children as young as one and a half years among those held in the bush.
The five defendants—Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, aka Isah Adam or Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, aka Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, aka Abu Itisar—are accused of belonging to Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), a proscribed terrorist organisation.
They were re-arraigned on a seven-count amended charge filed by the DSS on behalf of the Federal Government, and all pleaded not guilty.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness alleged that armed attackers invaded the schools on 12 motorcycles, shooting sporadically and preventing the pupils and teachers from escaping.
She said the attackers “carted” the victims into the bush, with about four people reportedly placed on each motorcycle, while a Toyota car belonging to one of the teachers was used to transport others.
According to the witness, the victims were later informed by the kidnappers’ leader that they were being held to pressure the government to secure the release of detained members of the Ansaru group.
She alleged that two teachers, Deacon John Olaleye and Michael Oyedokun, were brought out on separate occasions and beheaded after the kidnappers accused the government of failing to respond to their demands.
The witness also told the court that the kidnappers seized the victims’ phones and used them to contact relatives and government officials to communicate their grievances.
She described the food and water available to the victims as grossly inadequate, saying about four people were sometimes forced to share one cup of water.
“At the initial stage, we were fed rice, salt and palm oil,” she told the court, explaining that after the salt ran out, they survived on rice and palm oil before eventually being left with only white rice.
She further alleged that children were flogged while being fed to stop them from struggling for food, while meals were served in a dirty rubber bucket.
According to her, the victims could neither bathe nor wash their clothes throughout the 56 days, leaving them dirty and exposed to harsh conditions.
She said the water provided by the kidnappers was so dirty that the victims had to close their eyes before drinking it, adding that they endured it simply to stay alive.
The witness said the ordeal ended at the sixth camp when security forces arrived and engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle before rescuing the victims.
The prosecution alleges that Mahmud Muhammad and Abubakar Abbas ordered the other three defendants, described in the charge as their “foot soldiers”, to abduct and kill Nigerians in different parts of the country if they were arrested.
The defendants are also accused of conspiring with others to abduct about 46 pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants failed to disclose information about an imminent terrorist act and the planned kidnapping to security agencies.
The charges were filed under various provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Oyedepo applied for the immediate commencement of trial in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
He also asked the court to protect the identities of prosecution witnesses and permit them to testify while wearing masks.
Defence counsel, Bala Dakum, did not oppose the applications.
Justice Salim Ibrahim subsequently granted the prosecution’s requests and ordered that the defendants remain in DSS custody throughout the trial.
The defence is expected to cross-examine the witness on September 18.
