BREAKING: Life Jail For Oriire School Kidnappers

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment over their involvement in the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

According to Ireporter Online, the judgment was delivered by Justice Salem Ibrahim after the defendants admitted to charges filed against them by the Federal Government. The court found them guilty of concealing information about the masterminds behind the kidnapping, leading to their conviction.

During the proceedings, the defendants also confessed to being members of Darul Salam, a group authorities identified as an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist organisation, Ansaru. Their guilty pleas enabled the court to conclude the trial and impose life sentences for their roles in the abduction.

The court further heard that two of the convicts, Abdulrazak Umar and Shamsudin Adamu, pleaded guilty to additional charges of providing training and instructions to members of a WhatsApp group known as “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.” Prosecutors alleged that the platform was used to encourage and incite acts of terrorism, allegations both defendants admitted before the court.

In a separate count, Umar also pleaded guilty to engaging in illegal gold mining without lawful authorisation. Prosecutors told the court that he unlawfully mined gold in streams located in the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.

Following their admissions and the evidence presented, the Federal High Court convicted the three defendants and sentenced them to life imprisonment, bringing the prosecution in the Oriire school abduction case to a close.