…They subjected us to 56 days inhumane treatments ,witness tells courr
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday re-arraigned five men accused of complicity in the May 15 kidnap of pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government of Oyo State and killing of two of the victims.
They were put on trial on 7-count amended charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026
filed by the DSS on behalf of the federal government.
The defendants accused of being members of the Jama’‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group are Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar); Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri); Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid); Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar).
All the five defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charges when the charges were not read to them by the Registrar of the Court.
The Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) Mr Rotimi Oyedepo SAN leading the DSS legal team applied for immediate trial of the defendants in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
He also applied that names of witnesses lined up to testify in the trial be shielded and be permitted to wear mask to ensure their protection.
Following no objections from the lawyer to the defendants Bala Dakum, Justice Salim Ibrahim granted the request of the DSS Counsel.
Testifying before the court on Thursday a DSS witness identified as “AAA” told thé Federal High Court that the kidnappers subjected them the 49 kidnapped students and teachers of Schools in Orire local government of Oyo State, to dehumanizing conditions for 56 days .
He said in captive they were moved to six different locations bare-footed and sleeping on grass under heavy rains and sunshine before the security agents finally recused them from captivity.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) Mr Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, the DSS witness told the court that their ordeal was particularly pathetic because children of One and half years from pre nursery schools were among them held in captivity throughout the period.
The witness claimed that on their day of kidnapping, a group of bandits armed to the teeth invaded their schools on 12 motorcycles, shooting sporadically and prevented the students and teachers from escaping.
She said that the bandits who came in twelve motorcycles “carted’ them away into the bush with one motorcycle carrying about four persons adding that a Toyota car belonging to one of the teachers was also used to move other victims into the bush.
While in the bush, the witness said that they were addressed by the bandits’ leader who told them that the kidnapped people were being held to negotiate for the release of their Ansaru group members and not for the purpose of ransom
On two different occasions, the witness said that two teachers among them, Deacon John Olaleye and Michael Oyedokun were brought out and openly beheaded on the excuse that government was not serious in yielding to their demands for release of their detained members.
The witness also told the court that their phones were seized and that the phones were used to contact their relatives and government officials to relay their grievances to government.
The witness further said while inside the bush, they faced hunger and acute shortages of water adding that about 4 victims were being served with a cup of water by rationing.
At the initial stage, we were being feed with rice, salt and palm oil but when salt got finished, the kidnappers resorted to feeding them with rice and palm oil and later only white rice when palm oil also got finished.
Further narrating their ordeal, the witness claimed that feeding, the little children among them were usually flogged by the kidnappers to prevent them from struggling for white rice adding that they were being given food inside a dirty rubber bucket like chicken.
Throughout the 56 days in captivity, the witness asserted that they had no opportunity of washing their clothes or taking their baths, thereby making them so dirty and exposed to dangers before rescue came their way.
The witness further told the court that they had to close their eyes before they could drink the dirty water being served them by the kidnappers adding that they had to drink the dirty water just to survive.
It was at camp 6 of the captivity that the security forces came and exchanged gun shots with the bandits to finally rescue them.
Meanwhile the defense lawyer Bala Dakum is to cross examine the DSS witness September 18th.
Meanwhile, Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim has ordered that the defendants should remain in the custody of the DSS throughout the duration of their trial.
Count 1 in the 7 count charge read
COUNT ONE “That you MAHMUD MUHAMMAD (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State and Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state respectively, sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an act of terrorism when you you ordered ABDULRAZAK UMAR (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), YUNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANI (aka Abu Itisar), your foot soldiers of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), a proscribed terrorist organization in Nigeria, to kidnap and kill innocent Nigerians (Victims) in different parts of Nigeria in the event of your arrest by the Nigerian government, to compel the government to accede to your demands, which instigated the kidnap of about 46 pupils and teachers of Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery/Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.
COUNT TWO *That you MAHMUD MUHAMMAD (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), ABDULRAZAK UMAR(aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), YYNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANTI (aka Abu Itisar), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state and Suleja LGA, Niger State respéctively sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an act of terrorism when you caused the death of Deacon John Olaleye, by decapitating him. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2 (3) (g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act.
COUNT THREE “That you MAHMUD MUHAMMAD (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), ABDULRAZAK UMAR(aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), YUNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANI (aka Abu Itisar), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state and Suleja LGA, Niger State respectively, sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction Of this Honourable Court, committed an act of terrorism when you caused the death of Michael Oyedokun. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2 (3) (g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.