The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three individuals connected to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to life imprisonment.
Justice Salim Ibrahim delivered the judgment, ordering that the life sentences should commence from the date the three convicts were arrested.
The sentencing followed the defendants’ conviction in connection with the school abduction, a case that attracted national attention over the growing security challenges facing educational institutions.
Before the court pronounced its judgment, counsel to the convicts pleaded for mercy, urging the judge to impose a lighter sentence.
The defence lawyer argued that the three men were first-time offenders who had admitted their guilt by pleading guilty to the charges brought against them.
He further submitted that their guilty plea reflected remorse and cooperation with the judicial process, maintaining that the offences for which they were convicted did not directly involve carrying out the kidnapping.
The lawyer also appealed to the court to take into account the personal circumstances of the convicts, noting that they were married with children and had elderly parents who relied on them for financial and emotional support.
He consequently urged the court to grant them “a second chance at life” by exercising leniency in sentencing.
The prosecution, however, opposed the request, insisting that the convicts deserved severe punishment because they had prior knowledge of those responsible for the criminal operation.
According to the prosecution, the defendants failed in their civic responsibility by withholding information that could have helped security agencies prevent or investigate the crime, despite being aware of those involved.
After considering the submissions of both parties, Justice Ibrahim rejected the plea for a lighter sentence and ordered that the three convicts serve life imprisonment, with the jail term taking effect from the date of their arrest.
The judgment brings another phase of the prosecution arising from the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to a close, reinforcing the court’s stance against crimes involving attacks on schools and educational institutions.
