DSS Re-Arraigns Five Suspects Over Oriire School Abduction

DSS Re-Arraigns Five Suspects Over Oriire School Abduction

The Department of State Services DSS has re-arraigned five men accused of involvement in the May 15, 2026, abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Council of Oyo State. The defendants were also accused of complicity in the deaths of two of the victims. They were brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a seven-count amended charge filed by the DSS on behalf of the Federal Government. All five defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. The accused are Mahmud Muhammad, Abubakar Abbas, Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani.The prosecution alleges that the defendants are members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan ANSARU, which the Nigerian authorities classify as a proscribed terrorist organisation. According to the amended charge, Mahmud Muhammad and Abubakar Abbas allegedly directed the other three defendants to kidnap and kill Nigerians in different parts of the country if they were arrested. The prosecution alleges that the directive resulted in the abduction of about 46 pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire.The defendants are also accused of causing the deaths of teachers Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, with the prosecution alleging that Olaleye was decapitated. The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, who led the DSS legal team, asked the court to allow the trial to begin immediately under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. He also requested that the identities of prosecution witnesses be protected and that witnesses be permitted to wear masks while testifying.Defence counsel Bala Dakum did not object to the applications, which were subsequently granted by Justice Salim Ibrahim.During the proceedings, a DSS witness identified as “AAA” for security reasons narrated the conditions endured by the abducted pupils and teachers during their 56 days in captivity. She told the court that the victims were moved between six different locations, often barefoot and sleeping on grass while exposed to heavy rain and intense sunlight. The witness said children as young as one and a half years old were among those held captive. According to her testimony, the kidnappers invaded the schools on May 15 on about 12 motorcycles, firing weapons and preventing the victims from escaping. The abductees were then taken into the bush, with some transported in a teacher’s Toyota vehicle. The witness alleged that the kidnappers’ leader told the victims they were being held to pressure the government to secure the release of detained members of their group rather than primarily for ransom.She further testified that the victims’ phones were seized and used to communicate with relatives and government officials.The witness alleged that Olaleye and Oyedokun were brought out and killed, claiming the kidnappers said the government was not responding seriously to their demands.Following the proceedings, Justice Ibrahim ordered that the five defendants remain in DSS custody throughout the trial. The case is expected to continue before the Federal High Court in Abuja as the prosecution presents its evidence. The defendants remain legally presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by the court.