*Says Cured Of Arthritis While In Captivity
THE Federal Government, on Friday, July 17, filed a 10-count charged before the Federal High Court, Abuja, against three men- Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar) – over the kidnap of children and teachers of a school in Orire Local Council of Oyo State.
The 44 teachers and students were recently rescued by a combined effort of the military and other security agencies in the country.
The charge borders on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement and illegal mining against the defendants, all of Suleja Local Council of Niger State.
They are alleged to have conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May this year to kidnap the schoolchildren and teachers, contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
They are also alleged to have aided the kidnap of the schoolchildren and teachers and to have concealed information regarding the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds, despite knowledge of the plot, offences said to contravene Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the Act, respectively.
The charge also alleged that the three defendants, on or about June 2, this year, professed membership of Darul Salam, described as an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Act.
In separate counts, Umar is specifically accused of providing training and instructions to terrorists and inciting members to commit acts of terrorism through a WhatsApp group, titled, ‘The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace,’ contrary to Sections 15 and 2(2)(g) of the Terrorism Act, and Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
Count 10 accuses Umar of engaging in unlawful gold mining at streams within Chaza area of Suleja Local Council between 2024 and this year, contrary to Section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The suspects are expected to appear in court next week following the conclusion of investigation, while others were still being probed.
Meanwhile, one of the freed teachers who spent 56 days in the custody of abductors, on a radio interview, said he was the last of the victims to be captured and also the last to be released.
He recounted that the attack started with the sound of motorcycles before gunfire erupted.
“We just heard the movement of a bike. Immediately we heard a shot of guns. They were shooting things sporadically,” as the students began shouting warnings, shouting bandits, bandits, bandits, bandits.”
He explained that a pre-existing case of arthritis in his left leg nearly cost him his freedom and worsened dramatically the moment he tried to flee through a window along with fleeing students, adding: “So, when I jumped through the window, when I wanted to land, I landed on the left leg I had arthritis.
“Immediately I knew, ah, there was a problem. So, I was unable to walk.
“I told them, please, you go. Don’t worry about me, let them not capture you.”
He hid beneath thick grasses, using leaves to disguise his legs, because his clothing happened to match the vegetation around him.
However, the compassion of one of his own students ultimately gave him away and led to his capture, as a female student in the school’s white and brown uniform refused to leave his position despite his pleas.
And when the attackers’ leader approached and reached for her, the student’s reaction gave him away: “He wanted to go and take that student.
“When he took the student, she smiled and looked at where I was hiding. So, their commander also looked. He saw me and opened his face mask. He was thinking like, ‘is this a human being or what?’
“He ordered me to stand up. That was how I was captured.”
According to him, many initially believed he had escaped and gone into hiding, noting: “Everybody was saying, they trust me, they cannot capture me…
“So, the students were saying they knew I was alive, that nobody captured me.”
The teacher confirmed that while in captivity, their captors spoke a mix of English, Yoruba and other languages, despite not appearing to be Yoruba themselves and were at some point forbidden from praying openly.
“After a month, they told us we should be praying, but we should not call the name of Jesus out. And whenever we were praying, we should not pray out, so that they would not see or hear us,” he added.
Interestingly, he stated:”The leg that I have spent a lot of money, tried many hospitals, bought many medicines and used, when I got there and complained to them, they just gave me one drug.
“When I took the drug, the arthritis went and I stood up.”
On the day of their release, he said: “They were just laughing, they were smiling. They said we should thank God that we have been freed… They said we should open our eyes,” including him and another man that had been blindfolded, handcuffed and chained by the leg until then.
He explained that he was the last to be released, due to a broken handcuff key, leaving him shackled even after others had been let go, noting: “There was no key to loosen the handcuff on my hand. That was the way I was carrying the handcuff…
“So, one of them said maybe they should cut off my hand, but the other said no, that they should not cut off my hand,” until a long rope was eventually used to free his wrist.
Initially confused, left behind and disoriented in the bush, he was called back at gunpoint by the group’s leader, who he identified as an ISWAP figure, and redirected to the correct path.
“He told me to come back… I was afraid that only me in this bush. Ah, it meant that I was going to die,” he reminisced.
The freed captive stated that the group trekked for about an hour before reaching motorcycles that conveyed them toward Kinyere village, after which they continued on foot for another 90 minutes before government operatives met them.
He concluded: “The way we were rescued was miraculous. It was people’s prayers and God’s help. Let me put it that way.”
