Nigeria begins trial of five suspected Ansaru members over school kidnapping

LAGOS, NIGERIA, Sept. ‌17 (Reuters) - Nigeria's state ​security ​service on Thursday opened the trial of five suspected members of Islamist group Ansaru over ‌the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools ⁠in southwestern Oyo state.

• The defendants — Mahmud Muhammad, Abubakar Abbas, Abdulrazak Umar, ‌Yunusa Musa and Shamsu ‌Sani — pleaded not guilty to seven terrorism-related counts before Federal High Court Judge Salim Ibrahim in Abuja.

• They face ​sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment if convicted. If prosecutors prove that deaths resulted from ⁠the kidnapping, they could face the death penalty, under Nigeria's 2022 anti-terrorism law.

• ​The first prosecution witness, identified only as "AAA", told the court that gunmen entered the schools ​on May 15, firing shots before ‌taking seven teachers and 39 pupils into a forest, where they were held for ⁠56 days.

• Prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo sought protection for witnesses, citing the case's sensitivity. Defence lawyer Bala Dakum did not object ⁠but requested permission to see witnesses during cross-examination. The judge granted both ​requests.

• Mass kidnappings for ransom have spread across Nigeria, though large school raids have been less common in the southwest.

• In ‌July, the presidency said security forces had rescued 39 pupils and six teachers and ‌arrested eight suspected kidnappers.

• In May, one teacher was killed ⁠in captivity and security ‌personnel were wounded ​by explosives during an attempted rescue.

(Reporting by Camillus Eboh. Writing by Ben Ezeamalu; Editing by Toby ‌Chopra)

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