The Federal Government is set to re-arraign five alleged members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, popularly known as Ansaru, over their alleged involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The fresh proceedings are connected to the May 15, 2026 attack on three schools in Oriire, during which about 46 pupils and teachers were abducted. Two of the victims were later reported killed, while security agencies rescued most of the captives after nearly two months in captivity.
The five defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, alias Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, alias Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
They were previously arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism, conspiracy, aiding terrorist activities and concealment of information. They pleaded not guilty to the allegations, after which Justice Salim Ibrahim ordered that they be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), with access to their lawyers, immediate family members and medical care.
The Federal Government alleges that some of the defendants issued directives to members of the Ansaru group to carry out kidnappings and killings in different parts of the country in the event of their arrest, allegedly to compel the government to meet the group’s demands. The prosecution also linked the defendants to the alleged killing of two victims following the Oriire abduction.
The latest re-arraignment follows earlier proceedings involving senior Ansaru commanders who were sentenced to life imprisonment over terrorism-related offences. The fresh case concerning the five defendants is expected to further clarify the allegations surrounding the Oyo school abduction as the Federal Government pursues the prosecution of those it links to the attack.