A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced three men linked to the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offences.

Justice Salim Ibrahim handed down the sentence on Thursday, ordering that the jail terms of 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 commence from the date of their arrest.

The three convicts were prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, and related offences arising from the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.

During the proceedings, all three defendants admitted to being members of a proscribed terrorist organisation and pleaded guilty to charges relating to the concealment of information concerning the planning and execution of the abduction.

The court also found that the convicts knowingly withheld intelligence about individuals involved in terrorist activities and failed to report them to security authorities.

In addition to the charges admitted by the three defendants, the first convict, Abdulrazak Umar, pleaded guilty to four additional counts involving terrorism training, disseminating operational instructions, and using a messaging platform to promote extremist religious ideology and incite members of a terrorist group.

While pleading for leniency, defence counsel urged the court to temper justice with mercy, arguing that the defendants were first-time offenders who had voluntarily pleaded guilty, thereby demonstrating remorse.

The lawyer further submitted that the offences to which they pleaded guilty were not directly related to the actual kidnapping operation.

He also appealed to the court to consider their personal circumstances, noting that they were married with children and had elderly parents who depended on them for support.

However, counsel for the prosecution opposed the plea for a lighter sentence, arguing that the defendants had prior knowledge of terrorist activities and the individuals involved but deliberately failed to alert law enforcement agencies.

The prosecution maintained that, as citizens, the convicts had a duty to report information capable of preventing acts of terrorism and protecting innocent lives.

After considering the submissions of both parties, Justice Ibrahim sentenced the three men to life imprisonment, ruling that the punishment would take effect from the date they were first taken into custody.

The judgment marks another significant conviction in the Federal Government's ongoing efforts to prosecute terrorism-related offences and dismantle networks responsible for attacks and kidnappings across the country.

The Oriire abduction, which involved the kidnapping of students and teachers in Oyo State, attracted nationwide attention and prompted intensified security operations that eventually led to the arrest and prosecution of those found to have supported or facilitated the crime.