BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

The Federal Government has arraigned five suspected terrorists, including two alleged commanders of the Ansaru terror group, over their alleged involvement in the gruesome beheading of two teachers abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The suspects were brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja on fresh terrorism-related charges. They include Abubakar Abba Mahmuda, also known as Abu Bara’a, and Abubakar Abbas, alias Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri, both identified by security authorities as senior figures within the Ansaru network.

According to court proceedings, the two alleged commanders were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in August 2025, while the remaining three defendants were described as foot soldiers who allegedly participated in the deadly attack on the Oriire schools.

Presiding over the matter, Justice Salim Ibrahim ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody and fixed September 24 for the commencement of trial. The latest arraignment comes barely a week after the same court sentenced three other suspects to life imprisonment for their roles in the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire.

On July 23, Justice Ibrahim convicted Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar) after they pleaded guilty to aspects of a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining activities.

The convicts admitted concealing information about the masterminds behind the school attack and acknowledged membership of Darul Salam, an affiliate of the proscribed Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru) terrorist group. Umar further pleaded guilty to providing terrorist training and instructions through a WhatsApp platform titled, “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace.”

Court documents also revealed that Umar allegedly engaged in illegal gold mining operations in the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area between 2024 and 2026, contrary to provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

Although the convicted suspects maintained that they did not physically participate in the Oriire attack, they pleaded guilty to selected counts. Justice Ibrahim subsequently fixed September 16 and 17 for the continuation of proceedings on the remaining charges against them.

Meanwhile, the DSS has indicated its intention to appeal the life sentences handed down by the court, insisting that the gravity of the offences warrants capital punishment.

The arraignment of the five suspects underscores the Federal Government’s continued efforts to dismantle terrorist networks operating within the country and bring those responsible for attacks on educational institutions to justice. The Oriire incident remains one of the most disturbing assaults on Nigeria’s educational sector in recent years, reigniting concerns over security in schools and the activities of extremist groups across the country.