A chilling first-hand account of the May 15, 2026, mass abduction in Oyo State emerged at the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, as a survivor detailed the horrific 56-day ordeal suffered by 46 schoolchildren and teachers at the hands of the proscribed Ansaru terrorist group.

The witness, shielded under the pseudonym “AAA,” testified that the captives—including toddlers as young as 18 months old—were marched barefoot through six different wilderness camps, starved, flogged, and forced to drink water so filthy they had to close their eyes to swallow it.

In a courtroom gripped by heavy emotion, the survivor also recounted the brutal beheading of two teachers, Deacon John Olaleye and Michael Oyedokun, executed by the terrorists to punish the Federal Government for failing to meet their demands.

Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the witness explained how heavily armed terrorists on 12 motorcycles stormed three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, shooting sporadically before carting victims into the bush.

The witness revealed that the captors openly stated they were not seeking monetary ransom. Instead, they were using the schoolchildren and educators as human shields to blackmail the government into releasing detained Ansaru leaders.

"They served us food in a dirty rubber bucket like chickens," the witness testified. "Initially, it was rice mixed with salt and palm oil. When the salt and oil finished, they gave us only raw white rice. Water was so scarce that four people would share a single cup. The little children were flogged whenever they cried or struggled for food."

Throughout the 56 days of exposure to torrential rains and scorching heat, none of the victims was allowed to bathe or wash their clothes. The nightmare only ended when Nigerian security forces tracked the sixth camp, engaging the terrorists in a fierce gun battle to rescue the surviving captives.

Terror Suspects Plead Not Guilty

The harrowing testimony was delivered at the re-arraignment of five suspected Ansaru members: Mahmud Muhammad (alias Abu Bara’a)
Abubakar Abbas (alias Isah Adam)
Abdulrazak Umar (alias Abu Khalifa)
Yunusa Musa
Shamsu Adamu Sani.

The Department of State Services (DSS) is prosecuting the defendants on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, conspiracy, aiding terrorism, and the murder of the two teachers.

The prosecution alleges that Muhammad and Abbas ordered their "foot soldiers" to launch the strikes and execute citizens to compel the government to bow to their demands. All five defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Federal prosecutors have arraigned five suspected Ansaru militants in a high-stakes counter-terrorism trial in Nigeria. M. Muhammad and A. Abbas are accused of serving as core commanders who ordered mass abductions and executions, facing the death penalty under the Terrorism Prevention Act, while A. Umar, Y. Musa, and S. Sani are alleged to be operational foot soldiers who executed the kidnappings. For more details on this case, visit the relevant legal reporting channels.

Masked Witnesses and Remand

Following the reading of the charges, the DSS legal team successfully applied for accelerated trial proceedings. Citing extreme safety risks, the prosecution requested that all subsequent witnesses be permitted to testify wearing masks and behind protective screens.

The defence counsel, Bala Dakum, did not oppose the application.

Presiding Justice Salim Ibrahim granted the protective measures and ordered that all five defendants remain remanded in DSS custody for the duration of the trial. The case resumes today, September 18, 2026, for the cross-examination of the first survivor.