Oriire Kidnappers Subjected 49 Students, Teachers To Dehumanising Conditions For 56 Days, Witness Tells Court

Oriire Kidnappers Subjected 49 Students, Teachers to Dehumanising Conditions for 56 Days, Witness Tells Court A witness for the Department of State Services DSS has told the Federal High Court in Abuja how 49 students and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State endured 56 days of harsh and dehumanising conditions while in captivity. The witness, identified as “AAA” to protect her identity, gave evidence before Justice Salim Ibrahim, saying the victims were moved through six different locations, often barefoot and forced to sleep on grass while exposed to heavy rain and intense sunshine. According to the witness, the ordeal was particularly distressing because children as young as one and a half years old from pre-nursery schools were among those held by the kidnappers. She told the court that the attackers stormed the schools on May 15, 2026, riding about 12 motorcycles and firing weapons to prevent the students and teachers from escaping. The victims were subsequently taken into the bush, with the witness saying some motorcycles carried about four people each. A Toyota vehicle belonging to one of the teachers was also reportedly used to transport some of the abductees The witness said the leader of the kidnappers told the captives that they were being held to pressure the government to secure the release of detained members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan ANSARU, rather than primarily for ransom. She further testified that the victims’ phones were seized and used to communicate with relatives and government officials over the kidnappers’ demands. The witness also gave evidence concerning the deaths of two teachers, Deacon John Olaleye and Michael Oyedokun. She alleged that the two men were brought out on separate occasions and openly beheaded because the kidnappers believed the government was not taking their demands seriously. The five defendants currently facing trial have been accused by the prosecution of involvement in the abduction and deaths. They are Mahmud Muhammad, Abubakar Abbas, Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani, all of whom have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The witness described severe shortages of food and water during the 56 days in captivity. She told the court that at one point, about four victims had to share a single cup of water. Their meals reportedly began with rice, salt and palm oil, but as supplies ran out, the food was reduced first to rice and palm oil and eventually to plain white rice. She also alleged that the younger children were flogged while being fed to prevent them from struggling for food and that meals were served in a dirty rubber bucket. The victims, she said, were unable to wash their clothes or bathe throughout their captivity. They were also allegedly forced to drink dirty water, sometimes closing their eyes before drinking it because of its condition.According to the witness, the victims were finally rescued at the kidnappers’ sixth camp after security forces arrived and engaged the abductors in a gun battle. The DSS has accused the five defendants of being members of ANSARU, a proscribed terrorist organisation, and charged them with offences including terrorism, kidnapping and alleged involvement in the deaths of the two teachers. The defendants were re-arraigned on a seven-count amended charge and pleaded not guilty. Justice Ibrahim subsequently ordered that they remain in DSS custody throughout the trial. The defence is expected to cross-examine the DSS witness as the trial continues.