Oyo School Kidnappings: How ANSARU Allegedly Used Children to Pressure FG

A witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the proscribed terrorist group Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) allegedly planned the Oriire school kidnappings in Oyo State with support from Al-Qaeda, seeking to pressure the Federal Government into releasing 30 detained members.

The DSS operative, identified by the code name BBB, gave the account on Monday, October 12, 2026, while testifying as the second prosecution witness in the trial of five men accused of involvement in the group’s activities.

According to the witness, the May 15 attacks in Oriire Local Government Area were part of a wider strategy to use high-profile kidnappings to compel the government to negotiate the release of ANSARU members, including its leaders.

He told the court that the attackers abducted pupils, students and teachers from schools in the area and moved them to a forest near the Old Oyo National Park.

The terrorists allegedly presented a list of 30 detained members they wanted released and threatened to kill the hostages if the government failed to meet their demands.

The witness said the group had adopted a strategy of carrying out attacks and kidnappings whenever its members were arrested, hoping to use the safety of abducted victims as leverage against the authorities.

BBB, who was involved in the investigation, identified Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar, as one of ANSARU’s founding members.

He alleged that Muhammad had previously served as head of security and intelligence within Boko Haram before leaving the group in 2012 to establish ANSARU alongside other members.

The witness further identified Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri, as the group’s alleged head of operations.

According to his testimony, ANSARU members planned attacks on prominent targets as part of efforts to secure the release of detained commanders and other members.

He cited the November 4, 2025, attack on the convoy of Jafaru Mohammed Ali, a member of the House of Representatives representing Agwara/Borgu Federal Constituency, as an earlier operation allegedly linked to the strategy.

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The witness said four military personnel were killed and four DSS personnel injured during the attack. He alleged that the assailants intended to abduct the lawmaker and use the incident to intensify pressure on the government.

BBB also told the court that the group had planned to attack the Wawa military base in New Bussa, Niger State, because members believed some of their detained colleagues were being held there.

When that plan failed, the group allegedly shifted some of its operations towards the South-West, where it believed attacks and kidnappings would attract public attention and increase pressure on the authorities.

Regarding the Oriire abductions, the witness said security agencies launched an operation against the group’s hideout after efforts to secure the release of the hostages encountered resistance.

He alleged that two victims were killed during the crisis and that the attackers threatened to kill more hostages as security personnel advanced towards their location.

According to BBB, the terrorists opened fire on security operatives during the operation, escalating the confrontation.

He said security agencies eventually rescued the remaining captives, although the operation resulted in casualties among security personnel, including a senior police officer and an Army officer.

The witness also alleged that security operatives took the wife of the second defendant and other relatives of suspected commanders into custody in an effort to discourage further killings of hostages.

He told the court that the measure contributed to a halt in the killings before the rescue operation was completed.

During his testimony, BBB also discussed ANSARU’s history and ideology, including its alleged involvement in the kidnapping and killing of foreign nationals.

He said the group justified such operations by accusing foreign nationals of involvement in the killing of Muslims in other countries.

The witness recalled that the killing of seven foreign nationals in 2014 contributed to the United States designating ANSARU as a terrorist organisation and declaring Muhammad wanted internationally.

The five defendants standing trial 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.

They are accused of links to the proscribed group and involvement in its activities, including the attacks and kidnappings under investigation.

The prosecution’s allegations remain subject to judicial determination as the trial continues. The court will assess the evidence presented before reaching any decision on the defendants’ culpability.