The Federal Government has arraigned three men before the Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of pupils and teachers from a school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The suspects—Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani-were slammed with a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement and illegal mining. Prosecutors alleged they collaborated with other suspects to carry out the abduction between January and May 2026.
According to the charge, the defendants also allegedly concealed information about the operation and professed membership of Darul Salam, an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru. Umar was further accused of recruiting and training terrorists through a WhatsApp platform and engaging in illegal gold mining.
Meanwhile, retired Major General Ishola Williams has backed Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for an independent investigation into the abduction and rescue operation, describing the request as consistent with precedents established during the Chibok schoolgirls’ crisis.
Williams, however, noted that only the Federal Government has the constitutional authority to invite the United Nations to investigate security matters, suggesting that reputable independent organisations could instead be engaged to review the incident.
He also questioned the intelligence failures that allowed the mass abduction to take place, urging authorities to hold security officials and community leaders accountable while strengthening local intelligence gathering.
Also reacting, the Emeritus Supreme Head of the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, Prophet Solomon Adegboyega Alao, commended President Bola Tinubu and security agencies for rescuing the victims alive, describing the operation as proof that Nigeria’s security forces can effectively tackle insecurity.
The cleric urged security agencies to replicate the success in other parts of the country where abducted citizens remain in captivity. He also called for greater public cooperation with security agencies, opposed ransom payments to kidnappers and appealed for improved welfare for security personnel and the families of fallen officers.
