…Says terrorists only interested in release of some detained individuals
The terrorists responsible for the attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have released a fresh video featuring one of the abducted victims, clarifying the group’s demands and disputing reports circulating in the media.
In the video, the principal of one of the affected schools, Mrs. Alamu, dismissed claims that the kidnappers were demanding the implementation of Sharia law, payment of a N1 billion ransom, or other conditions that have been widely reported.
Speaking from captivity, Mrs. Alamu said the abductors had shown the victims copies of media reports containing what she described as false claims about their demands.
According to her, the continuous dissemination of such reports could jeopardize ongoing efforts to secure the release of the hostages.
“Hello, everyone I have come to make some clarifications. Today marks the 24th day we have been in this place, and it seems that some people are already making our case complicated.
“We were shown some print media reports claiming that these people requested a billion naira and demanded that Sharia law be entrenched in the country. These claims are not true,” she said in the video.
Mrs. Alamu insisted that the kidnappers were focused solely on the release of some detained individuals.
“They are not asking for Sharia law, they are not asking for money. The single thing they are asking for is the release of their people,” she stated.
She further appealed to authorities and the public not to politicize the situation.
“They are not asking for Sharia law, they are not asking for weapons, they are not asking for money. All they are asking for is the release of some people and negotiation. Please do not play politics with our lives,” she pleaded.
The latest video comes amid widespread reports that the terrorists had demanded the release of detained commanders, payment of ransom, provision of two Hilux vehicles, and the implementation of Sharia-related laws before the captives could regain their freedom.
According to available report, two of the individuals allegedly being sought by the kidnappers are Mahmud Usman, popularly known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, also known as Isah Adam, Mahmud Al-Nigeri, or Mallam Mamuda.
Bara’a is said to be from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, while Al-Nigeri reportedly hails from Daura in Katsina State.
Investigations indicate that both men are senior figures in Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan, commonly known as (Ansaru), a faction that split from Boko Haram. They are accused of supporting and facilitating terrorist activities in Nigeria between 2013 and 2015.
The suspects were reportedly arrested between May and July 2025 and are currently facing terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025, filed on September 4, 2025.
Their trial commenced on January 15, 2026, before Justice Emeka Nwite. Meanwhile, families of the abducted pupils and teachers continue to await a breakthrough in negotiations as concern grows over the prolonged captivity of the victims.