A witness of the Department of State Service (DSS) in the ongoing trial of five persons alleged to be members of a proscribed Ansaru terror group on Friday, told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, that their abductors left them to starve while in captivity.
The witness code-named “AAA”, who was one of the victims of the Oriire school and teachers’ abduction said, they were seriously traumatized during and after the ordeal.
Under cross-examination by the counsel to the five defendants, Mr Bala Dakum, the witness said, the abductors offered them food at their own convenient time despite the presence of little children of 18 months among them.
She admitted that the alleged kidnappers use the mobile phone of the victims to talk to government officials but said she did not know the phone number of the officials that were called.
The witness further told the court that upon their rescue by security operatives, she was interrogated by DSS operatives in their office and also while in the hospital.
In response to a question, the witness admitted that three of the five defendants on trial were with them in the forest, while they learned about the other two during interrogation at the DSS office.
While noting that, Michael Oyedoku and John Olaleye were killed by the kidnappers, she however, told the court that, she was not present at the scene where they were beheaded.
The witness further told the court that because she was not at the scene where the two teachers were beheaded she did not know the specifics of the kidnappers that carried out the killing.
Meanwhile, the trial judge, Justice Salim Ibrahim has fixed October 12 and 13, 2026 for the continuation of the trial of the five defendants on seven-count amended charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026 preferred against them by the DSS on behalf of the Federal Government.
The Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mr Rotimi Oyedepo SAN is leading the DSS legal team for the prosecution.
The defendants accused of being members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group are, 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).
Count one of the charge reads, “That you Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State and Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state respectively, sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an act of terrorism when you you ordered Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar), your foot soldiers of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), a proscribed terrorist organization in Nigeria, to kidnap and kill innocent Nigerians (Victims) in different parts of Nigeria in the event of your arrest by the Nigerian government, to compel the government to accede to your demands, which instigated the kidnap of about 46 pupils and teachers of Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery/Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, Oriire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.
Count seven reads, “That you, Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State and Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state respectively, 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 act 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 persons and killing of two 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 Section 16 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act”.
The defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charges slammed against them by the DSS when read out to them in the court.
END
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