RismadarVoice Reporters, July 23, 2026
The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced plans to appeal the sentence imposed on three men convicted over their roles in the abduction of school pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, insisting that the punishment does not reflect the gravity of their crimes.
The agency said it would challenge the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Salim Ibrahim sentenced the defendants to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offences, including membership of Darul Salam, an affiliate of the Ansaru terrorist organisation, concealing information relating to the kidnapping, and inciting violence through extremist religious ideology.
The DSS argued that the offences committed by the convicts went beyond the charges on which they were sentenced, noting that the beheading of two teachers by members of the terrorist group constitutes a capital offence under Nigerian law.
According to the service, the nature of the crimes warrants the death penalty rather than life imprisonment, adding that it is dissatisfied with the court’s decision and will pursue an appeal to seek a stiffer punishment.
The convicts are 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.
Justice Ibrahim had sentenced the three men to life imprisonment after they admitted their involvement in terrorism-related offences linked to the Oriire school abduction.
The court also convicted them of concealing information about the kidnapping and spreading extremist ideology in support of the terrorist group.
The DSS maintained that it remains committed to ensuring justice for the victims of terrorism and their families and will continue to pursue all lawful means to hold perpetrators accountable.
