Orire: For 56 days, we saw hell in hands of our terrorists – Oyo victims

A witness of the Department of State Services (DSS) Thursday told the Federal High Court in Abuja, how 49 kidnapped students and teachers of Schools in Orire local government area of Oyo state, went through hell and dehumanising conditions in the hands of their captors for 56 days.

The witness “AAA” told Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim that in the days spent with the kidnappers, they were moved to six different locations bare-footed.

According to her, the captors sleep on grass under heavy rains and sunshine before the security agents finally rescue them from captivity the Jama’‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group.

The defendants that were docked are Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar); Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri); Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid); Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar).

Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the DSS witness told the court that their ordeal was particularly pathetic because children of One and half years from pre nursery schools were among those held in captivity throughout the period.

The witness claimed that on their day of kidnapping, a group of bandits armed to the teeth invaded their schools on 12 motorcycles, shooting sporadically and preventing the students and teachers from escaping.

Accordibg to the witness, the bandits came in twelve motorcycles which they used in whisking them away into the bush.

She told the court that one motorcycle carries about four persons adding that a Toyota car belonging to one of the teachers was also used to move other victims into the bush.

While in the bush, the witness said that they were addressed by the bandits’ leader who told them that the kidnapped people were being held to negotiate for the release of their Ansaru group members and not for the purpose of ransom

On two different occasions, the witness said that two teachers among them, Deacon John Olaleye and Michael Oyedokun were brought out and openly beheaded on the excuse that government was not serious in yielding to their demands for release of their detained members.

She also told the court that their phones were seized and that the phones were used to contact their relatives and government officials to relay their grievances to government.

The witness further said that while inside the bush, they faced hunger and acute shortages of water, adding that about four victims were served with a cup of water during rationing.

“At the initial stage, they fed them with rice, salt and palm oil but when salt got finished, the kidnappers resorted to feeding them with rice and palm oil and later only white rice when palm oil also got finished,” the witness said.

Reliving their experience further, the witness claimed that feeding little children among them were usually flogged by the kidnappers to prevent them from struggling for white rice adding that they were being given food inside a dirty rubber bucket like chicken.

“Throughout our fifty six days in captivity, we had no opportunity of washing clothes or taking baths, thereby making us so dirty and exposed to dangers before we were rescued.

“Each time we want to drink water that thebthe kidnappers gave to us, we would close our eyes before drinking the dirty water just to survive inside the bush.

“It was at camp six of the captivity that the security forces came and exchanged gun shots with the bandits to finally rescue them,” she told the court.

At the next trial, the defense lawyer Bala Dakum is expexted to cross examine the DSS witness.

In a short ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim, has ordered that the defendants should remain in the custody of the DSS throughout the duration of their trial.

One of the charges reads: “That you Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar) and ABUBAKAR ABBAS (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), Adults, Males, of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State and Daura Local Government Area of Katsina state respectively, sometime between 2025 and 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an act of terrorism when you you ordered ABDULRAZAK UMAR (aka Abu Khalifa/ Abu Khalid), YUNUSA MUSA (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa) and SHAMSU ADAMU SANI (aka Abu Itisar), your foot soldiers of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), a proscribed terrorist organization in Nigeria, to kidnap and kill innocent Nigerians (Victims) in different parts of Nigeria in the event of your arrest by the Nigerian government, to compel the government to accede to your demands, which instigated the kidnap of about 46 pupils and teachers of Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery/Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, Orire LGA, Oyo State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the same Act.”