The State Security Service has arraigned five men alleged to be members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan terrorist group over the May 15, 2026 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the subsequent killing of two of the victims.
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The defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam or Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
They pleaded not guilty when the six-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, was read to them before Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday.
In the first count, the prosecution alleged that Muhammad and Abbas issued an order to Ansaru foot soldiers, including Umar, Musa and Sani, to kidnap and kill people in different parts of the country in the event of their arrest, with the aim of compelling the Federal Government to meet their demands.
The SSS alleged that the order was issued sometime between 2025 and 2026 and was subsequently acted upon during the abduction of about 46 pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.
The alleged offence was brought under Section 24 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and is punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the legislation.
In the second count, Muhammad and Abbas were accused of issuing the directive that allegedly led to the killing of two of the abducted victims, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye.
The prosecution alleged that Ansaru foot soldiers decapitated the two victims after the abduction in furtherance of the directive attributed to the alleged commanders.
The alleged offence is contrary to Section 2(3)(g) and punishable under Section 24(2) of the Terrorism Act.
All five defendants were also accused of knowingly concealing information about the planned terrorist acts which resulted in the abduction and killings.
The prosecution said they failed to disclose the information to law enforcement or security agencies despite allegedly knowing that it could have assisted in preventing the attack and apprehending those involved.
The alleged concealment offence was brought under Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Act.
In another count, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of conspiring between January and May 2026 in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State with Muhammad, Abbas, Muhammed Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab and other persons still at large to abduct the pupils and teachers.
The prosecution said the alleged conspiracy violated Section 26(1) of the Terrorism Act.
The same three defendants were also accused of aiding Muhammad, Abbas and other alleged Ansaru members in carrying out the abduction, contrary to Section 26(2) and punishable under Section 26(3) of the Act.
They were separately accused of concealing information about the alleged plot and failing to report it to any law enforcement or security officer.
Following the defendants’ not-guilty pleas, prosecuting counsel Dr Caliatus Eze applied for their remand in the protective custody of the SSS pending trial.
Justice Ibrahim granted the application and ordered that the five defendants remain in SSS custody.
The judge, however, directed that they be granted unhindered access to their lawyers and two members of their immediate families.
He also ordered the SSS to provide the defendants with adequate medical attention while they remain in custody.
The case was adjourned until September 25, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Umar, Musa and Sani had earlier been prosecuted in a separate 10-count case arising from the Oriire abduction.
The Federal High Court sentenced the three men to life imprisonment on July 23 after they pleaded guilty to six of the counts, including concealment of information and membership of Darul Salam, which prosecutors described as an affiliate of Ansaru.
Their trial was to continue on the four remaining counts to which they pleaded not guilty.
The latest six-count charge brings the three men before the court alongside Muhammad and Abbas, who are alleged by the prosecution to have issued the directive that led to the abduction and killings.
The allegations in the latest charge have not been proved, and all five defendants remain presumed innocent until convicted by a court.
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