A witness of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday narrated to the Federal High Court in Abuja, how the 49 kidnapped students and teachers of Schools in Orire local government of Oyo State, were subjected to dehumanizing conditions for 56 days by their kidnappers
The witness, whose identity was protected due to security reason, told Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim that they were moved to six different locations bare-footed and sleeping on grass under heavy rains and sunshine before the security agents finally recused them from captivity
The defendants accused of being members of the Jama’‘atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist 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).
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.
According to the victim, on their day of kidnapping, a group of bandits armed to the teeth invaded their schools on 12 motorcycles, shooting sporadically and prevented the students and teachers from escaping.
She said that the bandits who came in twelve motorcycles “carted’ them away into the bush with one motorcycle carrying 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
She said on two different occasions, 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 said while inside the bush, they faced hunger and acute shortages of water adding that about 4 victims were being served with a cup of water during rationing.
She further said at the initial stage, they were being feed 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.
Besides, the witness claimed that feeding, the 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 the 56 days in captivity, the witness asserted that they had no opportunity of washing their clothes or taking their baths, thereby making them so dirty and exposed to dangers before rescue came their way.
She further said that the victims had to close their eyes before they could drink the dirty water being served them by the kidnappers adding that they had to drink the dirty water just to survive.
She said it was at camp 6 of the captivity that the security forces came and exchanged gun shots with the bandits to finally rescue them.
Meanwhile the defense lawyer Bala Dakum is to cross examine the DSS witness September 18th,2026.
Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim has ordered that the defendants should remain in the custody of the DSS throughout the duration of their trial.