Oriire kidnap: Five defendants plead not guilty to 7-count terrorism charges

The Department of State Services, DSS, connected Thursday re-arraigned 5 men accused of complicity successful the May 15 kidnap of pupils and teachers successful Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the consequent sidesplitting of 2 of the victims.

They were arraigned connected a seven-count amended complaint marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, filed by the DSS connected behalf of the Federal Government.

The defendants, accused of being members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) violent group, 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).

All 5 defendants, however, pleaded not blameworthy to the charges erstwhile they were work to them by the Registrar of the court.

The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who led the DSS ineligible team, applied for the contiguous proceedings of the defendants successful enactment with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

He besides applied for the names of witnesses lined up to attest successful the proceedings to beryllium shielded and for them to beryllium permitted to deterioration masks to guarantee their protection.

Following nary objection from counse...