The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five men over their alleged complicity in the May 15 kidnapping of pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the subsequent killing of two of the victims.

The five suspects arraigned on Wednesday before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja are said to be members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group.

They were identified by the DSS as Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar); Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri); Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid); Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa); and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar).

In count one of the charge, Muhammad and Abbas were accused of ordering their foot soldiers in the Ansaru terrorist group, including Umar, Musa and Sani, to, in the event of their arrest, kidnap people and kill them in all parts of the country to compel the government to accede to their demands.

In count two, the DSS alleged that the May 15 kidnapping of pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government of Oyo State and the killing of two of the victims were in furtherance of the order allegedly given by Muhammad and Abbas between 2025 and 2026.

In count three, the five suspects were accused of concealing information about the Oriire kidnapping and killing incidents without reporting the same to any law enforcement or security officer.

In count four, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of conspiring with Muhammad, Abbas and other leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, sometime between January and May 2026, to carry out the Oriire kidnapping and killings.

In count five, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of aiding Muhammad, Abbas and other members of the Ansaru group to effect the Oriire kidnapping and killings.

In count six, Umar, Musa and Sani were accused of concealing information about the Oriire incidents and failing to report the same to any law enforcement agency or security officer.

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The five pleaded not guilty when each count on the charge sheet was read to them, following which the prosecuting lawyer, Dr Caliatus Eze, applied for the defendants to be remanded in the protective custody of the DSS, a request the trial judge, Justice Salim Ibrahim, granted.

The judge ordered that the defendants be accorded unhindered access to their lawyers and two members of their immediate families.

He also ordered that they be given adequate medical attention and adjourned the matter till September 25 to commence trial.

Counts in the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, read: “That you Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), adults, males, sometime between 2025 and 2026, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did order your foot soldiers of Jama’‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group including Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), that in the event of your arrest by the government, to kidnap and kill victims in different parts of the country in order to compel the government to accede to your demands and in obedience to your order, your foot soldiers and cohorts, including the ones mentioned above, on 15th May, 2026 did kidnap some pupils and teachers of Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery/Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, Orire LGA, Oyo State, numbering about 46 victims, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.

“That you Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), adults, males, sometime between 2025 and 2026, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, in furtherance of your order stated above, foot soldiers and cohorts of Jama‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group, including Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), after above kidnap on 15th May, 2026 at Orire LGA, Oyo State, did cause the death two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, by decapitating them and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2(3)(g) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act.

“That you, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara‘a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda_ Al-Nigeri), Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, males, sometime between 2025 and 2026, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did knowingly conceal information about an imminent acts of terrorism by Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group which led to the 15th May, 2026 kidnap of about forty-six (46) persons and killing of two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, knowing the information to be of material assistance in apprehending and preventing the commission of acts of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to any Law Enforcement or Security Officer, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“That you, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, sometime between January and May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence when you conspired with Muhammed Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri) and others at large, to kidnap school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.

“That you, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, sometime between January and May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence when you aided Muhammed Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri) in the kidnap of school children and teachers in Orire LGA, Oyo State and thereby commited an offence contrary to Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 26(3) of the Act.

“That you, Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), adults, sometime between January and May, 2026, at Suleja LGA, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence when you knowingly concealed information about an imminent acts of terrorism by Jama‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group which led to the 15th May, 2026 kidnap of about forty-six (46) persons and killing of two (2) persons, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, knowing the information to be of material assistance in apprehending and preventing the commission of acts of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to any Law Enforcement or Security Officer, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022”.