Five Suspected Ansaru Members Face Trial Over Oyo School Abduction

Nigeria has opened the trial of five men accused of involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, with the defendants pleading not guilty to seven terrorism-related charges.

The defendants were re-arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, September 17, 2026, over the May 15 abduction and the alleged killing of two victims. The case has placed renewed attention on the security of schools and the prosecution of suspected members of the Ansaru militant group.

Five defendants plead not guilty

The defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam or Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.

The Federal Government, through the Department of State Services (DSS), accused the men of belonging to Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as Ansaru, which Nigerian authorities have proscribed as a terrorist organisation.

All five defendants pleaded not guilty after the amended charges were read to them before Justice Salim Ibrahim.

The prosecution is represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN. Defence counsel Bala Dakum is representing the defendants.

The case was brought under provisions of Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as other applicable laws.

What the prosecution alleges

According to the amended charge, the defendants are accused of involvement in the abduction of about 46 pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire.

The schools identified in the charge include Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School.

The prosecution alleges that Mahmud Muhammad and Abubakar Abbas ordered the other three defendants to carry out kidnappings and killings. It also alleges that the defendants failed to disclose information about an imminent terrorist attack to law enforcement authorities.

The charges further allege that the incident resulted in the deaths of two victims, identified as Deacon John Olaleye and Michael Oyedokun.

These remain allegations before the court. The defendants have denied the charges by pleading not guilty, and the court will determine the evidence and legal issues through the trial.

Survivor describes 56 days in captivity

As proceedings began, a prosecution witness described the conditions faced by people abducted during the attack.

The witness, identified in court as “AAA” to protect her identity, told Justice Ibrahim that victims spent 56 days in captivity and were moved between six different locations.

She said the captives were forced to move barefoot and sleep outdoors under difficult weather conditions before security personnel rescued them. She also told the court that children as young as one and a half years old were among those held.

There is a difference in the figures reported during the proceedings. The amended charge refers to about 46 pupils and teachers, while the prosecution witness told the court that 49 students and teachers were held. The figures should therefore not be treated as identical without further clarification from the court record.

Court approves protection for witnesses

The prosecution asked the court to protect the identities of witnesses expected to testify during the trial.

Oyedepo requested that witnesses be allowed to testify while wearing masks, citing security concerns. Defence counsel did not oppose the request.

Justice Ibrahim granted the application, allowing measures intended to protect prosecution witnesses during the proceedings.

Witness protection is particularly significant in a terrorism-related case involving alleged kidnappings and killings, where witnesses may face security risks if their identities are publicly disclosed.

How the case reached trial

The defendants had previously been arraigned in July in connection with the case.

The Federal Government subsequently filed amended charges, leading to the September 17 re-arraignment. The proceedings were delayed by an issue over legal representation after one of the defendants objected to being represented by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.

The court then allowed the defendants to have access to their preferred lawyer and moved the re-arraignment to September 17.

The latest proceedings have now moved the case into the trial stage.

Why the case matters

The prosecution of the five defendants comes against a wider backdrop of school kidnappings and insecurity in Nigeria.

The Oyo case is particularly significant because the alleged attack involved pupils and teachers and took place in southwestern Nigeria, away from areas more commonly associated with large-scale militant activity.

The case also illustrates the legal challenges involved in prosecuting terrorism allegations. The prosecution must establish its claims with evidence in court, while the defendants retain the right to challenge the allegations and present their defence.

The use of protected witnesses also demonstrates the security concerns surrounding testimony in terrorism-related proceedings.

For families affected by the abduction, the trial provides a formal legal process through which evidence surrounding the incident can be examined. The outcome, however, will depend on the evidence presented and the court’s eventual findings.

The proceedings are continuing, with further hearings expected as the prosecution presents its case.