Nigeria: Three Suspected Terrorists Linked to Oyo School Abduction Plead Guilty to Terrorism Charges

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Premium Times report, says three men accused in connection with the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State pleaded guilty to parts of a terrorism case at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday. The defendants were named as Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also called Abu Itisar. The report says they are from Suleja Local Government Area in Niger State and were arrested by the State Security Service.

According to the report, the federal government filed 10 counts against the men through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, covering alleged terrorism offences, conspiracy, assistance to kidnapping, concealment of terrorist activity, membership of a banned group, cyber-related offences and unlawful mining. The defendants admitted eight counts in total. Umar pleaded guilty to four counts that applied to him alone, including allegations of terrorist training and incitement through a WhatsApp group. Musa and Sani pleaded guilty to two counts, including alleged concealment of information and professing membership of Darul Salam, described in the charge as linked to the proscribed Ansaru group.

The case stems from the 15 May kidnapping of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Premium Times reported that 44 surviving children and teachers were rescued after 56 days in captivity, while two teachers were killed during the ordeal and three security personnel died during rescue-related gun battles.

The report notes that President Bola Tinubu’s office previously said at least eight suspected kidnappers were arrested after the operation, but it was not immediately clear whether the three defendants in court were among them.