Why Ansaru terrorists carried out Oriire abduction – Prosecution witness

A prosecution witness on Monday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how the international terrorist organisation, Al-Ql-Qeada, supported members of the Ansaru terrorist group planned the 15 May attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The witness, identified as BBB, had his information withheld as part of witness protection measures approved by the court.

BBB, who said he took part in the investigations into the terrorist attack, told Justice Salim Ibrahim that the attack was to force the federal government to release their leaders who were arrested and being prosecuted.

The witness told the court that following the kidnap of the students and teachers, the terrorists submitted a list containing 30 names of their leaders and members to the federal government and demanded that they be released, else they would kill the kidnap victims.

BBB, the second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the five suspected members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), said he knew the five defendants in the course of his official duties.

The defendants comprise two convicted Ansaru commanders and three other men convicted and jailed earlier this year for their connection with the last May school abduction and killing of two victims in Oyo State

In July, the five men were arraigned before Judge Salim Ibrahim on old charges and four fresh ones covering the impact of their alleged terror activities nationwide.

The two convicts among the defendants are Mahmud Usman Muhammad (also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar),and Abubakar Abbas (also known as Isah Adam, Mahmud al-Nigeri and Malam Mamuda). The SSS said Mr Muhammad was a self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, while Mr Abbas described himself as the group’s deputy and chief of staff.

The remaining defendants are Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (also known as Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (also known as Abu Itisar).

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Judge Emeka Nwite sentenced Messrs Muhammad and Abbas to life imprisonment on 20 July, after they pleaded guilty to 32 charges brought by the SSS. 

Three days later, Judge Ibrahim sentenced the three other newly charged defendants – Messrs Umar, Musa and Sani – to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to six of out 10 terrorism charges, including allegations of their complicity in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State in May this year.

The three men were to proceed to full trial on the four remaining charges before the prosecution re-filed an amended version of the indictment on 29 July, adding six counts and bringing in the two jailed Ansarul leaders as co-defendants.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), citing the prosecution’s filing, reported that the defendants are from Okene Local Government Area (LGA), Kogi State; Daura LGA, Katsina State, and Suleja LGA, Niger State.

BBB’s testimony

Led in evidence by Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF) Oyedepo Rotimi, prosecution witness BBB said Nigerian security agents rescued the kidnap victims after the federal government refused to negotiate with the terrorists and play by their demands.

The witness added that he particularly knew the first defendant (Mr Muhammad) in Maiduguri as one of the founding fathers of Boko Haram, who once served as the group’s head of security and intelligence.

He said Mr Muhammad, whose father is from Okene in Kogi State, and his mother from Borno State, was among those who left Boko Haram in 2012 and set up the Ansaru group to propagate their ideology of establishing Islamic governance in the country and carrying out attacks on foreign nationals.

The witness said the group’s members believed that foreign nationals were killing their Muslim brothers abroad, hence their decision to kidnap and kill foreigners.

He recalled that the group’s killing of seven foreigners in 2014 made the United States to designate Ansaru as a proscribed terrorist group and declared Muhammad a globally-wanted terrorist.

BBB said Mr Muhammad led a series of kidnap and killing operations when he took over the leadership of Ansaru and named the second defendant (Mr Abbas) as the head of operations.

“He (Mahmud Mohammed) led the attack on the Emir of Potiskum. Seventeen military officers and three civilians were also killed in one of the operations he carried out.

“He was arrested in 2025. It is part of their ideology that once any of their leaders is arrested, they will do anything to ensure his release.

“When Abu Bara’a (Muhammad) became the leader of Ansaru, he made the second defendant the head of operations.

“When the first defendant was arrested, the second defendant identified high profile operations to be carried out to ensure that he is released.

“On 4 November 2025, they attacked the convoy of House of Representatives member,
Jafaru Mohammed Ali, representing Agwara/Borgu, killed four military personnel and injured four DSS (SSS) personnel.

“The reason for the attack was to kidnap him and negotiate for the release of the leaders, among whom are the 1st and 2nd defendants.

“Their plan was to kidnap him, humiliate him publicly and demand that the FG release the 1st and second defendants who were in custody.

“They also planned to attack the Wawa Military base in New Bussa, Niger , because they thought their members were being kept there.

“When the attack on Wawa failed, members of ANSARU strategically relocated to the South West, where they believed there were media houses to help amplify their demands to make the FG agree to the release of the 1st and 2nd defendants and other of their members being held by the state,” the prosecution witness said.

‘They wanted the release of 30 members’

The witness, who said he was aware of the Oriire attacks, added that he was part of those who investigated the case.

BBB said, “The attacks were carried out by members of the ANSARU group. When they carried out the attack, they moved the victims to a secured location in a forest close to Old Oyo National Park

“They made a demand and submitted a list of 30 members, including their leaders to the government, warning that if their demands were not met, they would kill the victims.

“They were very hostile. The security agencies later launched an offensive at the forest.

“They shot at the security operatives and slaughtered one of the victims and threatened to kill others if there were efforts to rescue the victims.”

The witness said after the terrorists killed two of the victims of the Oriire attacks, the security operatives saw the need to launch a rescue operation, knowing that the Ansaru members had a history of reckless killing of innocent souls.

Describing how he knew the third, fourth and fifth defendants, the witness said: “They are members of the ANSARU group that were in communication with some of the commanders, particularly one of the commanders, who was holding the Oriire victims.”

He said that members of the Ansaru group carried out the Oriire attacks in furtherance of an ideology that was put in place by the leaders – the first and second defendants – that in the event of the arrest of their top leaders, members should engage in series of operations (attacks) to force the FG to release their arrested leaders.

BBB said those behind the Oriire attacks actually pressured the government to release their leaders, but that the federal government refused to negotiate with them.

“They (the terrorists) submitted a list, including the names of first and second defendants, who they wanted the government to release, otherwise they would kill all the victims.

“Security agencies were able to secure the release of the victims.

“But unfortunately, we lost security personnel, including a senior police officer and an Army officer.

“Two of the victims were also murdered prior to the rescue operation,” the witness said.

Judge Ibrahim adjourned the matter until Tuesday for continuation of trial.

The 15 May Oyo abduction

The May 15 attack on schools in Yawota and neighbouring Ahoro-Esinele community resulted in the abduction of 46 schoolchildren and teachers, with the victims spending 56 days in captivity before their rescue on 10 July. 

The attack targeted Baptist Nursery and Primary School, L.A. Primary School(Ahoro-Esinele), and Community Grammar School (Ahoro-Esinele)

Their rescue came after weeks of coordinated operations involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilantes.

The rescue operation came at a heavy cost. Security personnel and three teachers, including the beheaded mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, lost their lives during the abduction and subsequent rescue efforts.

(NAN)