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Prosecution witness says Al-Qaeda supported Ansaru members who attacked schools in Oriire, Oyo State, and abducted students and teachers.
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Attackers allegedly demanded the release of 30 detained leaders and members, threatening to kill their hostages if the Federal Government refused.
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Court hears Ansaru shifted operations to the South-West after failed plots against a federal lawmaker and Wawa Military Base in Niger State.
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Witness says two hostages and security personnel were killed before security forces rescued the remaining captives after FG rejected negotiations.
October 12, (THEWILL) – A prosecution witness on Monday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that international terrorist organisation, Al-Qaeda, supported members of the proscribed Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, otherwise known as Ansaru, to attack schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and abduct students and teachers as leverage to force the Federal Government to release 30 detained members and leaders.
The witness, identified only as “BBB”, told Justice Salim Ibrahim that the May 15 attacks were part of an alleged strategy by Ansaru to mount pressure on the government to release its detained commanders and members.
According to him, after abducting the students and teachers, the attackers submitted a list containing 30 names to the Federal Government, threatening to kill the hostages if those on the list were not released.
BBB testified as the second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of five men accused of being Ansaru members and involvement in the Oriire attacks.
The defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
According to the prosecution, the defendants are from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Daura Local Government Area of Katsina State and Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Oyedepo Rotimi, SAN, BBB said the eventual security operation to rescue the hostages followed the Federal Government’s refusal to negotiate with the terrorists or yield to their demands.
Witness Traces Ansaru Leadership To Boko Haram
BBB told the court that he knew the five defendants through his official duties, identifying Muhammad, the first defendant, as one of the founding figures of Boko Haram who once served as the group’s Head of Security and Intelligence.
According to the witness, Muhammad, whose father is from Okene in Kogi State and whose mother is from Borno State, was among those who left Boko Haram in 2012 to establish Ansaru.
He said the group sought to propagate its ideology of establishing Islamic governance in Nigeria and became involved in attacks and kidnappings targeting foreign nationals.
The witness alleged that Ansaru members believed foreign nationals were responsible for the killing of Muslims overseas and consequently considered the kidnapping and killing of foreigners a form of retaliation.
He said Muhammad subsequently became Ansaru’s leader and appointed the second defendant, Abbas, as Head of Operations.
BBB further alleged that Muhammad led a series of kidnapping and killing operations, including an attack on the Emir of Potiskum.
“He led the attack on the Emir of Potiskum. Seventeen military officers and three civilians were also killed in one of the operations he carried out”, the witness said.
According to him, Muhammad’s arrest in 2025 triggered efforts by Ansaru members to carry out high-profile operations to secure the release of their detained leaders.
“It is part of their ideology that once any of their leaders is arrested, they will do anything to ensure his release,” BBB told the court.
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Alleged Plot To Kidnap Federal Lawmaker
The witness also linked the Oriire operation to earlier attacks allegedly planned or executed by the terrorist organisation.
He told the court that on November 4, 2025, Ansaru members attacked the convoy of House of Representatives member, Jafaru Mohammed Ali, representing Agwara/Borgu, killing four military personnel and injuring four Department of State Services personnel.
BBB said the attackers intended to abduct the lawmaker and use him as leverage to secure the release of their detained leaders.
“Their plan was to kidnap him, humiliate him publicly and demand that the FG release the first and second defendants who were in custody”, he testified.
The witness said Ansaru members also planned to attack the Wawa Military Base in New Bussa, Niger State, because they believed some of their detained members were being held there.
According to him, after the Wawa operation failed, members of the group strategically shifted towards the South-West, where they believed attacks would receive greater media attention and amplify pressure on the Federal Government.
“When the attack on Wawa failed, members of ANSARU strategically relocated to the South West, where they believed there were media houses to help amplify their demands to make the FG agree to the release of the first and second defendants and others of their members being held by the state”, BBB stated.
Hostages Moved To Forest Near Old Oyo National Park
Turning to the Oriire attacks, BBB said he was among those who investigated the incident and identified Ansaru members as those responsible.
According to him, after seizing the students and teachers, the attackers moved them to a secured location in a forest close to the Old Oyo National Park.
“The attacks were carried out by members of the ANSARU group. When they carried out the attack, they moved the victims to a secured location in a forest close to Old Oyo National Park”, he said.
The witness said the terrorists subsequently sent their demands to the government, including the list of 30 detained members and leaders they wanted released.
“They made a demand and submitted a list of 30 members, including their leaders, to the government, warning that if their demands were not met, they would kill the victims”, BBB testified.
He said security agencies subsequently launched an offensive after the government refused to negotiate.
According to him, the terrorists opened fire on security personnel during the operation and killed one of the hostages while threatening to murder others if security forces persisted with the rescue attempt.
“They were very hostile. The security agencies later launched an offensive at the forest. They shot at the security operatives and slaughtered one of the victims, and threatened to kill others if there were efforts to rescue the victims”, he said.
BBB told the court that two hostages were eventually killed before the rescue operation, prompting security agencies to intensify efforts to save the remaining captives.
He said the decision was informed by what he described as Ansaru’s history of killing innocent captives when its demands were not met.
Security Personnel Killed In Rescue Operation
The witness said security forces ultimately secured the release of the surviving hostages, but suffered casualties during the operation.
“Security agencies were able to secure the release of the victims. But unfortunately, we lost security personnel, including a senior police officer and an Army officer. Two of the victims were also murdered prior to the rescue operation”, he told the court.
BBB further alleged that the third, fourth and fifth defendants were members of Ansaru who communicated with some of the group’s commanders, including a commander who held the Oriire victims.
He maintained that the attack was carried out in furtherance of an alleged policy established by Ansaru’s leadership that members should mount high-profile operations whenever senior commanders were arrested in order to pressure the government into releasing them.
According to him, the list submitted after the Oriire attack included the first and second defendants.
“They submitted a list, including the names of the first and second defendants, whom they wanted the government to release, else they will kill all the victims”, the witness said.
The Federal Government, he added, refused to yield to the demand.
The testimony forms part of the prosecution’s case against the five defendants, and the allegations against them have yet to be determined by the court.
Justice Ibrahim adjourned further hearing in the case until Tuesday at 9 a.m.
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