Three men arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Orire Local Government Area have pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offences before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The defendants — 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 — admitted to being members of a proscribed terrorist organisation.
The trio also pleaded guilty to charges of concealing information relating to the planning and execution of the school abduction, which involved pupils and teachers in Orire Local Government Area.
In addition to the joint charges, Abdulrazak Umar pleaded guilty to four separate counts involving the training and indoctrination of members of a terrorist group. The charges alleged that he passed instructions and incited members through the propagation of extremist religious ideology.
The suspects are facing a 10-count charge filed by the DSS, bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, and other related offences.
According to the prosecution, the three defendants, who are all from Niger State, knowingly withheld information about individuals involved in terrorist activities, participated in acts of kidnapping, and used a messaging platform to facilitate terrorist training and coordination.
Following their guilty pleas, DSS operatives began presenting the facts of the case before the court, a procedural step that will pave the way for sentencing.
The case is expected to proceed with the court determining the appropriate punishment based on the defendants’ admissions and the evidence presented by the prosecution.
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