FG Files Charges Against Alleged School Kidnappers
The federal government has filed a ten-count criminal charge against three men accused of kidnapping schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State. The prosecution filed the case at the Federal High Court in Abuja following a sweeping counter-terrorism investigation. The state accuses the defendants of terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement, and running illegal mining operations. Department of State Services agents arrested the trio after tracing their links to a known terrorist network.
The defendants all hail from the Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State. The state identifies them as Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani. Prosecutors allege they conspired with three other fleeing suspects to orchestrate the mass abductions between January and May. Heavily armed men had raided three local schools in the Oriire Local Government Area on May 15. The aggressive daytime assault triggered massive national outrage and intense pressure on local security agencies.
The state also links the defendants directly to a proscribed terrorist organisation. The charge sheet alleges the suspects’ professed membership in Darul Salam, a known affiliate of the Ansaru terrorist group. Investigators claim the men helped hide the masterminds of the school raids despite knowing their identities and operational plans. These specific actions violate multiple sections of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act of 2022. The state intends to seek maximum penalties to deter future school raids.
The prosecution also added an economic crime charge against the lead defendant. Investigators caught Abdulrazak Umar running an unauthorized gold mining operation at streams in the Chaza area of Niger State. The state argues he used these illegal mining proceeds to help fund the local terrorist cell. This brings the case under the Miscellaneous Offences Act alongside the primary terrorism charges. The state wants to dismantle both the financial and logistical arms of the syndicate.
The court filings come just one week after the security forces rescued the captives. A massive joint military operation freed the pupils and teachers on July 10 after nearly two months in captivity. Special forces tracked the kidnappers deep into the Old Oyo National Park forest, forcing them to abandon the hostages. Several soldiers sustained injuries during the month-long forest campaign. The rescued victims are currently receiving medical care before returning to their families.