Three men sentenced to life in jail over Nigeria school kidnappings

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that three men have been given life sentences in Nigeria after admitting offences connected to the abduction of dozens of pupils and teachers in Oyo state. Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani were sentenced at the High Court in Abuja after pleading guilty to concealing information about the attackers and to membership of an affiliate of Boko Haram.

According to the BBC, the case relates to coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire district in May. Authorities said 44 abducted pupils and teachers were rescued nearly two weeks before the sentencing, after spending weeks in captivity. The men admitted conspiring with others between January and May 2026 to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers, and knowingly failing to disclose information despite being aware of the plot. Umar also admitted using a WhatsApp group to train and instruct jihadists, and to involvement in illegal mining.

The abductions prompted concern in Oyo because jihadist violence linked to Boko Haram has historically been concentrated in Nigeria’s north-east rather than the south-west. After the rescue operation, officials said several other arrests had been made, including a person described as a suspected kidnapping kingpin.

The BBC also reported testimony from a rescued headteacher, Rachael Folawe Alamu, who described being held in the bush with children and teachers for 56 days and said two male teachers were killed in captivity. The case highlights Nigeria’s wider security crisis, where armed criminal groups, jihadists and other violent actors have targeted schools and other vulnerable communities, making insecurity a major political issue ahead of the 2027 elections.