CLARIFICATION: Adopted slain teacher’s children ‘won’t live in orphanage’ as 3 suspects sentenced

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CLARIFICATION: Adopted slain teacher’s children ‘won’t live in orphanage’ as 3 suspects sentenced

Khalid ABRAHAM

Contrary to the news report Wednesday, the three children of the slain Oriire local government teacher, Dn. John Olaleye, will not be taken in at the Twindad Orphanage. Rather, the three kids would remain with their mother, Mrs. Funke Olaleye, while Twindad Foundation, will treat them as adopted children of the orphanage taking responsibility for their welfare including schooling.

This clarification was made Thursday by a spokesperson of the foundation, Mr. Oluwaseun Olalere.

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Mr. Olalere disclosed the kids would be taken care of while they remain with their mother. “The mother-child bond will not be severed, we will do what we will do while they are still with their mother, so they won’t live in the orphanage, ” he said.

Recall the father of the children was among the teachers and children/pupils abducted at Ahoro Esinele/Yawota schools on May 15, 2016 by bandits. Olaleye was later slain by the bandits reportedly to put pressure on the government to do their bidding among which was to release some of their commanders. Government initially played along but eventually baulked, following which the victims were successfully rescued. It was after the rescue that the killing of Olaleye was made known to the public.

In another development a Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three suspects convicted in connection with the abduction to life imprisonment.

Justice Salim Ibrahim delivering judgement in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/412/2026 on which they were arraigned, ordered that the life sentences imposed on Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (also known as Yunusa Bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (also known as Abu Itisar) should take effect from the date of their arrest.

Before sentencing, counsel for the convicts appealed to the court for mercy, describing them as first-time offenders who pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for their actions. He argued that the offences to which they admitted did not amount to direct participation in the actual kidnapping.

The defence also informed the court that the convicts were family men with wives, children and elderly parents who depended on them, urging the court to impose lighter sentences and grant them an opportunity for rehabilitation.

However, the prosecution opposed the plea, insisting that the defendants knowingly concealed information about terrorist activities and failed in their civic responsibility to alert security agencies despite being aware of the planned criminal operations.

The Department of State Services (DSS) had arraigned the defendants on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping and concealment of information.

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According to the prosecution, the three suspects, all natives of Niger State, knowingly withheld intelligence on terrorist activities, played roles connected with the kidnapping operation, and used a messaging platform to facilitate terrorist training and coordinate related activities.

The three pleaded guilty to counts four and six, relating to concealment of information about the activities of those behind the abduction and professing to be members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of Jamadadtu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist group in Nigeria.

The counts, to which they pleaded guilty, read:

*That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yinusa Musa (a k a Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamu Adamu Sani (a k a Abu Itisar), adults, all of Suleja LGA, Niger State sometime between January May, 2026 at Suleja LGA, Niger State, did commit an offence to wit: concealment, in that you had information about Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab as terrorists, who are masterminds of the kidnap of school children and teachers of Orire LGA of Oyo State, but failed to report same to the relevant security operatives. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.

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*That you, Abdulrazak Umar (a k a Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yinusa Musa (a k a Yunusa Bin Musa) and Shamu Adamu Sani (a k a Abu Itisar), adults all of Suleja LGA, Niger State on or about the 2nd June, 2026 at Suleja LGA, Niger State, did commit an offence to wit: membership, when you professed to be members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of Jamadadtu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist group in Nigeria. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.

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