Three men sentenced to life in jail over Nigeria school kidnappings

What the report says

Nile Post, carrying a BBC report, says three men have been handed life sentences in Nigeria after pleading guilty to offences connected to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo state. The case followed coordinated attacks in May on three schools in Oriire district, where 44 pupils and teachers were taken. Authorities announced their rescue earlier in July, nearly two weeks before the convictions were reported.

The men were named as Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani. They appeared before the High Court in Abuja. According to the report, they admitted hiding information about people behind the attacks and acknowledged membership of an affiliate of Boko Haram, while denying a conspiracy charge linked to the kidnappings between January and May 2026. Umar also admitted giving training and instructions to jihadists through a WhatsApp group and involvement in illegal mining.

The Oriire case drew wide concern because Boko Haram-linked violence has historically been centred in Nigeria’s north-east, while Oyo is in the south-west. The abductions prompted protests and demands from parents, teachers’ unions and rights groups for better protection of schools. Officials also said other arrests had been made after the rescue operation, including a person described as a suspected kidnapping kingpin.

The report adds that one rescued headteacher described 56 days in captivity in the bush and said two male teachers were killed by the kidnappers. More broadly, Nigeria continues to face insecurity from armed criminal gangs, jihadist groups, communal land conflicts and separatist unrest, making public safety a major political issue.