A prosecution witness has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru carried out the kidnapping of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to pressure the Federal Government into releasing detained leaders and members....
A prosecution witness has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru carried out the kidnapping of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to pressure the Federal Government into releasing detained leaders and members.
The witness, identified as BBB, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative, also alleged that international terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda supported Ansaru in planning the May 15 attack.
Testifying on Monday as the second prosecution witness in the trial of five men accused of involvement in the incident, BBB said the attackers submitted a list of 30 leaders and members they wanted the government to release, threatening to kill the abductees if their demand was rejected.
The witness gave the account while being led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
According to him, the attacks were part of a strategy by Ansaru to secure the release of detained commanders, particularly the first two defendants.
The defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants are members of Ansaru, a proscribed terrorist organisation.
BBB told the court that he knew the first defendant, Muhammad, from his official duties and described him as one of the founding members of Boko Haram who later helped establish Ansaru in 2012.
He said Muhammad had served as head of security and intelligence within Boko Haram before leaving the group with other members to form Ansaru.
According to the witness, the group sought to establish Islamic governance in Nigeria and targeted foreign nationals because its members believed foreigners were killing Muslims abroad.
BBB further testified that the killing of seven foreign nationals by Ansaru members in 2014 led to the group being designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, while Muhammad became a globally wanted terrorist.
The witness alleged that Muhammad subsequently assumed leadership of Ansaru and appointed the second defendant, Abbas, as head of operations.
He told the court that after Muhammad’s arrest in 2025, the group began identifying high-profile targets in an effort to force the government to release its detained leaders.
“It’s part of their ideology that once any of their leaders is arrested, they will do anything to ensure his release,” BBB said.
The witness cited an attack on the convoy of a member of the House of Representatives, Jafaru Mohammed Ali, who represents Agwara/Borgu, on November 4, 2025.
He alleged that four military personnel were killed and four DSS personnel injured in the attack, which he said was intended to abduct the lawmaker and use him as leverage to negotiate the release of detained Ansaru leaders.
BBB also told the court that the group planned to attack the Wawa military base in New Bussa, Niger State, believing some of its members were being held there.
He said that after the plan failed, Ansaru members relocated to the South-West, where they believed media organisations could publicise their demands and increase pressure on the government.
The witness alleged that the Oriire kidnapping was part of the same strategy.
BBB said the abducted students and teachers were taken to a forest near the Old Oyo National Park after the attack.
He testified that the kidnappers threatened to kill the victims unless the government released the 30 people named on their list.
According to him, security agencies subsequently launched an offensive against the terrorists in the forest, during which the attackers fired at the operatives and threatened to kill more hostages.
The witness said two abductees were killed before the rescue operation was completed.
He also alleged that security personnel suffered casualties during the operation, including a senior police officer and an Army officer.
BBB told the court that one of the measures adopted by the security agencies was to take into custody the wife of the second defendant and other relatives of alleged commanders.
He said the relatives were warned that further killings of hostages would have consequences for their family members.
According to the witness, the measure contributed to a halt in the killings before the rescue operation was carried out.
Explaining the alleged roles of the third, fourth and fifth defendants, BBB said they were members of Ansaru who communicated with some of the group’s commanders, including a commander allegedly holding the Oriire victims.
He maintained that the kidnapping was carried out in furtherance of a strategy developed by the group’s leaders to organise attacks whenever senior members were arrested.
The witness said the government refused to negotiate with the kidnappers despite their threats and demand for the release of detained members.
The five defendants are standing trial over their alleged involvement in the activities of Ansaru and the Oriire kidnapping.
Further hearing in the case is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m. before Justice Salim Ibrahim.
The allegations against the defendants are yet to be determined by the court.