Oriire abduction: Video of beheading of school teacher, Deacon John Olaleye played in court
The Federal High Court in Abuja has accepted as evidence a harrowing video depicting the beheading of Deacon John Olaleye, an abducted teacher from the Community School in Oriire, Oyo State. The video was admitted as “Exhibit Oyo1” by Justice Ibrahim Salim after it was presented during a public trial.
The video not only shows the brutal incident but also includes a statement from the alleged terrorists explaining their motives for the killing. They claimed that the Federal Government was stalling on the release of their members, which prompted them to execute Olaleye in retaliation for the lack of progress in negotiations concerning the release of abducted students and teachers from Oriire schools.
Also introduced into evidence as “Exhibit Oyo2” was a list of demands purportedly submitted to the Federal Government through the Oyo State government by the terrorist group, detailing the names of 30 members allegedly detained in various facilities across Nigeria.
The video, reportedly shared by the terrorists while holding their captives, contained threats against infants, schoolchildren, and women.
This evidence was presented during the ongoing trial of five members of the Ansaru terrorist group, who are being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS). The defendants are identified as Mahmud Muhammad (alias Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (alias Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), Abdulrazak Umar (alias Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (alias Abu Yunusa Bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (alias Abu Itisar). The name of Abubakar Abbas prominently featured in the video as one of the individuals the terrorists sought to have released.
The DSS’s Director of Public Prosecution, Oyedepo Rotimi, SAN, introduced the video through a witness known as “BBB,” a DSS operative involved in the investigation of the Oriire abduction. The witness testified that the beheaded teacher’s body was dismembered by the terrorists to hinder military advances toward their location.
He further stated that Mahmud Muhammad and Abubakar Abbas are recognized as dangerous terrorists with warrants from the United States and United Kingdom for their involvement in previous attacks. The testimony indicated that the demand for Abbas’s release was prioritized due to his role as a commander in Ansaru, allegedly responsible for the killings of military personnel in Nigeria.
During cross-examination by the defense counsel, Bala Dakum, the witness revealed that the captives’ phones were utilized to communicate with government negotiators. He asserted that Abubakar Abbas was used as leverage during negotiations for the release of another hostage, a woman with her infant. The witness warned that the terrorist group threatened to kill all captives if their demands were not fulfilled.
According to the testimony, Deacon John Olaleye was killed following accusations that government negotiators had failed to secure Abbas’s release, marking a tragic escalation in the ongoing hostage crisis.
Justice Ibrahim Salim scheduled the continuation of the trial for November 19 and 20.
