By Daily Review Online
The Federal Government has arraigned three suspects before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the abduction of pupils and teachers from a school in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The defendants — Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa (Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (Abu Itisar) — are facing a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining.
According to the charge, the three men allegedly conspired with other suspects between January and May 2026 to plan and execute the kidnapping of the schoolchildren and teachers.
Prosecutors also accused them of aiding the abduction and failing to report information about the alleged masterminds to security agencies, contrary to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The Federal Government further alleged that the suspects professed membership of Darul Salam, described in the charge as an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru.
Abdulrazak Umar faces additional charges of allegedly providing training and instructions to terrorists through a WhatsApp group named “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace” and using the platform to incite acts of terrorism. He is also accused of engaging in illegal gold mining in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State between 2024 and 2026.
The offences are alleged to be in violation of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, and the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
A security source said investigations are continuing and that other suspects linked to the case are still being probed. The source added that the government is pursuing a thorough investigation before filing additional charges.