Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE Federal High Court in Abuja has handed down life sentences to three men convicted for their roles in the abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State’s Oriire Local Government Area.
Justice Salim Ibrahim ruled that 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, would serve life imprisonment, with their sentences backdated to the date of their arrest.
The convicts, all from Niger State, faced a 10-count charge brought by the Department of State Services (DSS), including kidnapping, concealment of information, and terrorism-related offences.
They pleaded guilty to membership of a proscribed terrorist group and concealing information about the planning and execution of the abduction.
Only the first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, pleaded guilty to counts seven through 10, which related to training and passing instructions to terror group members on a particular religious ideology.
During the sentencing hearing, defence counsel appealed to the court for leniency, arguing that the men were first-time offenders who had shown remorse by pleading guilty.
The lawyer further submitted that the convicts were married men with children and elderly parents who depended on them.
”These men are deserving of a second chance at life,” the defence counsel told the court.
However, the prosecution counsel countered the plea, stating that the convicts were fully aware of the situation on the battlefield and, as true Nigerians, should have reported their knowledge to the authorities rather than participating in the crimes.
Justice Ibrahim, in delivering his verdict, rejected the defence’s plea for leniency, emphasising the gravity of the offences committed.
The court ordered that the life sentences would commence from the date of the defendants’ arrest.
The abduction in Oriire Local Government Area sent shockwaves through the community and drew national attention to the growing security challenges facing educational institutions in the region.
