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Fresh details have emerged on the conditions reportedly set by the terrorists holding pupils and teachers abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. According to security and government sources, the kidnappers have presented a four-point demand that must be met before they will release the remaining captives taken during the May 15 attack on schools in the Esinele, Yawota, and Alawusa communities.
The most significant demand is the release of two alleged terrorist commanders currently facing prosecution on terrorism-related charges. The individuals identified are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, popularly called Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri. Both men are believed to be senior figures within the extremist group Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (Ansaru), a faction linked to Boko Haram and several high-profile attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break. The abductors are also reportedly demanding the payment of a ₦1 billion ransom and the provision of two Hilux vehicles as part of the conditions for releasing the victims.
Another controversial aspect of the reported demands involves what some reports have described as the implementation of a Sharia-related law. However, independent fact-checkers have noted that there is currently no publicly available official evidence specifically confirming that the kidnappers explicitly demanded the introduction of Sharia law. Public comments by officials have instead referred more broadly to “concessions of future laws of the land,” making that particular claim a subject of ongoing debate.
The revelations come as rescue operations continue amid difficult terrain and fears that a direct military assault could endanger the lives of the abducted children and teachers. The Federal Government has maintained that intelligence-led efforts are underway to secure their safe return, while teachers’ unions, community leaders, and civil society organisations continue to mount pressure on authorities to bring the prolonged hostage crisis to an end. The abduction, which has already claimed the life of one teacher, has intensified national concerns about the spread of terrorism and mass school kidnappings into Nigeria’s South-West region.
