FG Re-arraigns Five Ansaru Suspects Over Oyo School Kidnapping

The Federal Government has re-arraigned five suspected members of the Ansaru terrorist group over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.

The Department of State Services (DSS) brought the defendants before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday over the May 15 kidnapping in Oriire Local Government Area.

The prosecution also linked the suspects to the subsequent killing of two victims in the incident.

The defendants face a seven-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026. They are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, alias Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, alias Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.

The Federal Government accused the five men of belonging to Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as Ansaru.

After the registrar read the amended charges to the defendants, each of them pleaded not guilty.

The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, led the DSS prosecution team during the proceedings.

Oyedepo asked the court to allow the prosecution to commence the trial immediately, citing provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

He also asked the court to protect the identities of prosecution witnesses during the trial. The prosecution further requested that the witnesses wear masks while giving evidence.

Counsel to the defendants, Bala Dakum, did not oppose the applications.

Consequently, the trial judge, Justice Salim Ibrahim, granted the prosecution’s requests.