Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Department of State Services will on Thursday, September 17, 2026, re-arraign five suspected members of the Ansaru terrorist group over their alleged complicity in the May 15 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the subsequent killing of two of the victims. The five men are to be docked before Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja on a six-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, on behalf of the Federal Government.
The accused are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, alias Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, alias Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, alias Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, alias Abu Itisar. All five are said to be members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, the terrorist group commonly known as Ansaru.
The re-arraignment was initially scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, 2026, but was aborted following the insistence of the accused persons to be defended by lawyers of their own choice. At Wednesday's proceedings, Mr Akilaluyel Shettima, a Deputy Director with the Legal Aid Council, had announced his appearance for the five defendants, but the first accused person, Mahmud Muhammad, objected. Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Muhammad told Justice Salim Ibrahim that they had been represented by one Bala Dakum as their lawyer before and would want him to continue to defend them.
The DSS lawyer and Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, conceded that the issue of choice of lawyer is a constitutional matter that must be respected. He told the court that the DSS is a law-abiding institution not interested in persecution of the accused persons but only interested in justice. Justice Ibrahim subsequently adjourned the matter until Thursday, September 17, and ordered the accused persons to contact their lawyer to be in court for the re-arraignment. The judge also directed the DSS to allow the accused persons access to their lawyer to prepare for their defence as required by law.
The fresh charge follows the earlier conviction and sentencing of the five men by different judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice Emeka Nwite had, on July 20, 2026, sentenced Muhammad and Abbas to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to a 32-count terrorism charge preferred against them by the DSS. Justice Ibrahim, on July 23, 2026, committed Umar, Musa, and Sani to life imprisonment following their guilty plea to allegations of their involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire. The DSS was dissatisfied with the life sentences and filed a fresh charge against the five men, seeking the death penalty.
According to the charge, Muhammad and Abbas allegedly ordered their Ansaru foot soldiers, including Umar, Musa, and Sani, that, should they be arrested, the group should kidnap and kill victims in different parts of the country to pressure the government into meeting their demands. In line with that order, their foot soldiers allegedly kidnapped about 46 pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery/Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026. The charge further alleges that, following the abduction, the group's foot soldiers caused the deaths of two persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, by decapitation. All five defendants are also accused of knowingly concealing information about the imminent acts of terrorism that led to the kidnap and killings, despite knowing the information could have helped prevent the attack, and of failing to disclose it to security agencies.
The attack on the schools in Oriire LGA sent shockwaves across Oyo State and the wider South-West, marking a significant southward expansion of militant activity in a region previously considered less exposed to the insurgency that has ravaged the North-East. The victims were held captive for 56 days before their eventual rescue. The DSS has stated that it is seeking the death penalty against the five men, arguing that life imprisonment is insufficient for the gravity of their crimes.
The case will be closely watched as a test of Nigeria's commitment to prosecuting terrorism and delivering justice for the victims of the Oyo school abduction. For the families of Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, who were beheaded in captivity, and for the pupils and teachers who survived the ordeal, the re-arraignment represents another step in a long and painful pursuit of accountability. The proceedings are expected to resume on September 17, 2026, with the defendants expected to enter their pleas to the fresh charge.
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