Oyo school abduction: DSS to re-arraign suspects today

The Department of State Services will today (Thursday) re-arraign five suspected members of the Ansaru terrorist group over their alleged involvement in the May 15 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the subsequent killing of two of the victims.

The suspects are to be re-arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a six-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, on behalf of the Federal Government.

The accused are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, aka Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, aka Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, aka Abu Itisar.

The suspects, who were scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, stalled the proceedings after the first defendant, Muhammad, objected to being represented by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.

A Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Council, Akilaluyel Shettima, had announced his appearance for the five defendants when the matter came up before Justice Saliu Ibrahim.

However, Muhammad, speaking on behalf of the other defendants, told the court that they had previously been represented by a lawyer, Bala Dakum, whom they wanted to continue their defence.

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He said, “We had been represented by Bala Dakum as our lawyer before, and we would want him to continue to defend us.”

Responding, Oyedepo (SAN) conceded that the defendants’ right to counsel of their choice was a constitutional matter that ought to be respected.

Oyedepo told the court that the DSS was a law-abiding institution and was not interested in persecuting the defendants but in ensuring that justice was done.

Following the development, Justice Ibrahim adjourned the matter until Thursday for the defendants to be re-arraigned.

The judge directed the accused persons to contact Dakum and ensure that he was present in court for the proceedings.

Justice Ibrahim also directed the DSS to grant the defendants access to their lawyer to enable them to prepare their defence, in accordance with the law.

Nathaniel Shaibu is a correspondent at The PUNCH with three years of professional journalism experience. He covers the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), civil society, religion, and the Ministries of Women Affairs and Youth Development. In addition to his primary beats, Nathaniel also reports on politics, metro, security, and judicial matters, bringing clarity and balance to a wide range of public-interest stories. His work reflects hands-on newsroom experience, strong beat knowledge, and a commitment to accurate, responsible journalism.