The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed fresh terrorism charges against two convicted Ansaru commanders and three other convicted members of the group over the attack on schools in Oriire LGA of Oyo state.
The five defendants were arraigned on Wednesday before Salim Ibrahim, judge of the federal high court in Abuja, where they pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge.
The defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, whom the DSS described as the leader of Ansaru; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam, Mahmud al-Nigeri or Malam Mamuda, identified as the group’s deputy leader and chief of staff; 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.
The latest charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026 and filed on July 29 by M.E. Ernest, counsel to the DSS, contains six terrorism-related counts.
The fresh charge comes days after the defendants were convicted in separate proceedings over their roles in the attack.
On July 20, Emeka Nwite, judge of the federal high court, sentenced Muhammad and Abbas to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to a 32-count terrorism charge.
Three days later, the judge sentenced Umar, Musa and Sani to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to their roles in the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire LGA.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Calistus Eze, counsel to the DSS, informed the court that the prosecution had amended the charge to include all five defendants and asked that it be read to them.
The defence did not object.
After the amended charge was read, all five defendants pleaded not guilty.
The counsel asked the court to fix a date for trial and requested that the defendants remain in the DSS custody pending the determination of the case.
Although the defence opposed the application, the court overruled the objection.
Ibrahim ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody but directed that they be granted unrestricted access to their lawyer and two family members.
The judge adjourned the case until September 25 for the commencement of trial.
According to the charge, the alleged offences are punishable under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants were involved in the May 15 attack on three schools in Oriire LGA, during which seven teachers and 39 pupils were abducted.
Michael Oyedokun, one of the abducted teachers, was later beheaded by the attackers while in captivity, who circulated a video of the killing.
Authorities also confirmed that another teacher, John Olaleye, died in captivity, bringing the number of teachers killed to two.
The remaining five teachers and the 39 pupils were rescued after spending 56 days in captivity.
The DSS also alleged that before the victims were rescued, the kidnappers demanded the release of Muhammad and Abbas as part of negotiations for the hostages’ freedom.
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