The Department of State Services (DSS) will on Thursday, September 17, 2026, re-arraign five men over their alleged involvement in the May 15 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the killing of two victims.
The defendants, Mahmud Muhammad, Abubakar Abbas, Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani face an amended six-count charge, FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, before Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Federal Government alleges that the men are members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, known as Ansaru, and links them to the attack.
Their re-arraignment, fixed for Wednesday, September 16, was stalled after they rejected Legal Aid Council representation and requested Bala Dakum, their previous lawyer.
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The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not oppose the request, while Justice Ibrahim adjourned the case to Thursday and ordered the DSS to facilitate access to counsel.
The case follows earlier proceedings arising from the attack. On July 23, Umar, Musa and Sani were sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to terrorism-related offences connected to the incident.
All five were subsequently arraigned on July 29 on fresh terrorism-related charges linked to the abduction and deaths of two teachers.
The May 15 attack saw pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire. The victims spent 56 days in captivity before their rescue on July 10, while two teachers were killed.
The latest allegations remain before the court for determination.