A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their roles in the infamous Oriire school kidnapping case, after finding them guilty of concealing information that could have led to the arrest of the masterminds behind the abduction.
Delivering judgment, Justice Salem Ibrahim held that the convicts deliberately withheld vital intelligence from security agencies, thereby frustrating efforts to apprehend those responsible for the kidnapping of pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State. The defendants had earlier entered guilty pleas to the charges filed against them by the Federal Government.
“The defendants knowingly concealed information that would have assisted security agencies in tracking and arresting the principal perpetrators of the crime,” the judge ruled before sentencing the trio to life imprisonment.
During the proceedings, the convicts also admitted to being members of Darul Salam, a group identified by the authorities as an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist organisation, Ansaru. Their confessions formed part of the evidence relied upon by the court in reaching its verdict.
The court further heard that two of the convicts, Abdulrazak Umar and Shamsudin Adamu, pleaded guilty to additional terrorism-related offences, including providing terrorist training and instructions. They also admitted to using a WhatsApp group named “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace” to incite members to engage in acts of terrorism.
“The evidence before the court establishes the defendants’ involvement in activities that threaten national security and public safety,” the prosecution told the court, urging the judge to impose appropriate sanctions.
The Oriire school kidnapping attracted widespread public outrage after gunmen abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State, raising renewed concerns over insecurity and attacks on educational institutions.
The Federal Government has maintained that investigations are ongoing, with efforts continuing to apprehend other suspects believed to have played key roles in the crime.
