The Department of State Services (DSS) has re-arraigned five men accused of involvement in the May 15 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of two victims.
The defendants were re-arraigned on a seven-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026 and filed by the DSS on behalf of the Federal Government.
The five men identified as suspected members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
All five defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to them by the court registrar.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who led the DSS legal team, urged the court to commence the trial immediately in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
Oyedepo also asked the court to protect the identities of witnesses expected to testify by shielding their names and allowing them to appear in court wearing masks.
Counsel to the defendants, Bala Dakum, did not object to the application.
Justice Salim Ibrahim subsequently granted the request, paving the way for measures to protect the witnesses during the proceedings.
At the time of filing this report, preparations were ongoing for the commencement of the full-scale trial.
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