BREAKING: FG files charges against three suspects over abduction of Ogbomoso schoolchildren, teachers
The federal government has filed terrorism charges against three men over the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire LGA of Oyo state.
The 10-count charge, filed before the federal high court in Abuja on Friday, also accuses the suspects of belonging to a proscribed terrorist group, concealing information about terrorist activities, inciting terrorism, and illegal gold mining.
The defendants are 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.
According to the charge sheet, the three defendants, all from Suleja LGA of Niger state, allegedly conspired with three other suspects — Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab — between January and May 2026 to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire LGA.
The government accused them of aiding the abduction and concealing information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having prior knowledge of the plot.
The trio was also accused of failing to report information that could have facilitated the arrest of the alleged kidnappers.
In one of the counts, the federal government alleged that on or about June 2, 2026, the defendants professed membership of Darul Salam, described in the charge as an affiliate of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
The charges were filed under relevant provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The first defendant, Umar, faces additional charges of allegedly providing training and instructions to terrorists through a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace”.
He was also accused of using the platform to incite members to commit acts of terrorism, contrary to the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
In a separate count, Umar was accused of engaging in illegal gold mining at streams in the Chaza area of Suleja LGA between 2024 and 2026 without lawful authority.
A security source said the suspects are expected to be arraigned before the court next week following the conclusion of investigations.
The source added that investigations into other suspects linked to the case are ongoing.
“Others are still being probed as the agency is insistent on diligent investigation,” the source said.
