The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed fresh
terrorism charges against two convicted Ansaru commanders and three other
convicted members of the group over the attack on schools in Oriire LGA of Oyo
state.
The five defendants were arraigned on Wednesday before Salim
Ibrahim, judge of the federal high court in Abuja, where they pleaded not
guilty to the six-count charge.
The defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a
or Abbas Mukhtar, whom the DSS described as the leader of Ansaru; Abubakar
Abbas, also known as Isah Adam, Mahmud al-Nigeri or Malam Mamuda, identified as
the group’s deputy leader and chief of staff; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as
Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa; and
Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
The latest charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026 and filed on
July 29 by M.E. Ernest, counsel to the DSS, contains six terrorism-related
counts.
The fresh charge comes days after the defendants were
convicted in separate proceedings over their roles in the attack.
On July 20, Emeka Nwite, judge of the federal high court,
sentenced Muhammad and Abbas to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to
a 32-count terrorism charge.
Three days later, the judge sentenced Umar, Musa and Sani to
life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to their roles in the abduction of
schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire LGA.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Calistus Eze, counsel to the
DSS, informed the court that the prosecution had amended the charge to include
all five defendants and asked that it be read to them.
The defence did not object.
After the amended charge was read, all five defendants
pleaded not guilty.
The counsel asked the court to fix a date for trial and
requested that the defendants remain in the DSS custody pending the
determination of the case.
Although the defence opposed the application, the court
overruled the objection.
Ibrahim ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS
custody but directed that they be granted unrestricted access to their lawyer
and two family members.
The judge adjourned the case until September 25 for the
commencement of trial.
According to the charge, the alleged offences are punishable
under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants were involved in
the May 15 attack on three schools in Oriire LGA, during which seven teachers
and 39 pupils were abducted.
Michael Oyedokun, one of the abducted teachers, was later
beheaded by the attackers while in captivity, who circulated a video of the
killing.
Authorities also confirmed that another teacher, John
Olaleye, died in captivity, bringing the number of teachers killed to two.
The remaining five teachers and the 39 pupils were rescued
after spending 56 days in captivity.
The DSS also alleged that before the victims were rescued,
the kidnappers demanded the release of Muhammad and Abbas as part of
negotiations for the hostages’ freedom.
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