Adedokun Waliyu 
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men convicted in connection with the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to life imprisonment.
Justice Salim Ibrahim ordered that the life sentences imposed on 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) should take effect from the date of their arrest.
Before sentencing, defence counsel pleaded with the court to exercise leniency, arguing that the convicts were first-time offenders who had pleaded guilty and shown remorse for their actions.
The lawyer also told the court that the offences for which they were convicted were not directly related to the kidnapping itself. He added that the three men were married with children and had elderly parents who depended on them, urging the court to give them a second chance.
However, the prosecution opposed the plea for leniency, arguing that the defendants were aware of the activities of terrorists and had failed to report the information to the appropriate authorities.
The three defendants pleaded guilty to membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation and to concealing information relating to the planning and execution of the abduction.
In addition, the first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, pleaded guilty to four additional charges relating to terrorist training, issuing operational instructions, and inciting members of the terrorist group through extremist religious ideology.
The defendants were arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a 10-count charge involving terrorism-related offences, kidnapping, and concealment of information.
According to the prosecution, the three men, all from Niger State, knowingly withheld information about terrorist activities, participated in kidnapping operations, and used a messaging platform to facilitate terrorist training and coordination.
Following their guilty pleas, the court convicted them and sentenced them to life imprisonment, with the sentences commencing from the dates they were taken into custody.
