The terrorists who kidnapped teachers and students from three schools in Oyo State’s Oriire Local Government Area have reportedly made four demands before releasing the victims.
The abductors who assaulted schools in Esinele, Yawota, and Alawusa towns on May 15 are seeking the release of incarcerated terrorist commanders, the payment of a ransom, two Hilux cars, and the application of Sharia-related laws.
The two commanders apparently being sought are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.
The terrorists are leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan, JAMBS, also known as Ansaru — a breakaway faction of Boko Haram — and are alleged to have aided and abetted acts of terrorism in the country between 2013 and 2015.
They have also been linked to the 2022 Kuje jail break.
They were arrested between May and July 2025 and are currently under trial on terrorist charges before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a suit designated FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025, with the trial beginning on January 15, 2026.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Usman to 15 years in jail on September 11, 2025, after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful mining, which he claimed he used to fund arms procurement for terrorism and abduction.
He denied 31 further counts and remains in DSS custody pending trial on those allegations.
His deputy, Abba, has pleaded not guilty to all 32 counts and is currently on trial in the same court.
According to some sources, the ransom demand is ₦1 billion to be paid into a bank account in the Republic of Benin.
Security professionals have cautioned that releasing the commanders would pose severe threats to national security.
Bashir Adewinbi, a retired brigadier-general, noted that the scenario has put the government in a tough spot, warning that paying ransoms or releasing terrorist commanders would embolden criminal groups and bankroll future attacks.
Another retired Brigadier-General, Peter Aro, asked the authorities to first obtain proof that the abductees were still alive before making any decisions, citing the potential consequences of protracted captivity, particularly for small children.
The Oyo State Government has declined to comment on the requests or the status of discussions, with Commissioner for Information Dotun Oyelade stating that disclosing the government’s plan would be “unhelpful” while efforts to secure the victims’ release were still underway.
On May 17, two days after the incident, the kidnappers published a video of Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher at Ahoro-Esinele Community High School, being beheaded.
Governor Seyi Makinde confirmed the tragedy in a statement on Monday, May 18, calling it “deeply painful”.
