The Department of State Services (DSS) has said it will appeal the life imprisonment imposed on three men convicted over their involvement in the abduction of school pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The service said it was dissatisfied with the sentence, arguing that the punishment does not reflect the gravity of the crimes committed during the attack in Oriire, particularly the beheading of two teachers by members of the terrorist group responsible for the abduction.
Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday sentenced the three men to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to belonging to Darul Salam, an affiliate of the Ansaru terrorist organisation, concealing information about the kidnapping, and inciting terrorism through religious ideology.
The convicts are 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.
Abdulrazak Umar specifically pleaded guilty to Counts 7, 8, 9 and 10, which bordered on training terrorist members, passing instructions and promoting extremist religious ideology.
The defendants were prosecuted by the DSS on a 10-count charge bordering on kidnapping, concealment of information and terrorism-related offences, contrary to Section 16(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
According to the charges, the three men, all from Niger State, knowingly withheld information about individuals involved in terrorist activities, participated in the kidnapping and used a messaging platform to facilitate terrorist training.
The court sentenced the three convicts to life imprisonment on Count 6. Abdulrazak Umar was also handed life sentences on Counts 7, 9 and 10.
The development comes a week after the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced two senior Ansaru commanders arrested by the DSS—Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda—to life imprisonment. The DSS has also indicated it will appeal that judgment.
