The Department of State Services (DSS) has vowed to appeal the life imprisonment sentence handed down to three men convicted over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, insisting that the death penalty is more appropriate for their crimes.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had sentenced Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (Yunusa bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (Abu Itisar) to life imprisonment after convicting them on charges connected to terrorism and the school abduction.
Justice Salim Ibrahim ordered that the sentence should take effect from the date of their arrest.
The convicts were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining. The Federal Government accused them of being members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
According to the prosecution, the trio conspired with other suspects between January and May 2026 to facilitate the abduction of school children and teachers in Oyo State. They were also accused of concealing information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having prior knowledge of the plot.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ibrahim convicted the defendants and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
Reacting to the verdict, the DSS expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence, stating that it would challenge the judgment on appeal.
The agency argued that the beheading of two teachers during the attack constitutes a capital offence punishable by death and that life imprisonment does not adequately reflect the gravity of the crimes committed.
Recall that On 15 May, gunmen invaded Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire LGA, abducting 46 persons comprising 39 pupils and seven teachers.
The Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, was killed while attempting to escape, while Mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was murdered by his abductors.
The remaining victims regained their freedom on 10 July following an intelligence-led military operation by the Nigerian Army at the kidnappers’ hideouts in the Old Oyo National Park. The military rescued 44 pupils and teachers and arrested eight suspected gang members.
The Presidency had earlier disclosed that no ransom was paid and no concessions were made to the abductors despite their reported demand for N1 billion and the release of a detained commander.
The DSS maintains that given the terrorist nature of the crime and the killing of innocent victims, the ultimate punishment should be imposed on those found culpable.
