Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Oyedepo Rotimi (SAN), the witness said security agencies mounted a rescue operation after the Federal Government rejected the terrorists' demands and refused to negotiate.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday heard that the international terrorist group Al-Qaeda backed members of the proscribed Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, also known as ANSARU, in planning the May 15 attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The court was told that the attacks, and the abduction of students and teachers that followed, were meant to pressure the Federal Government into freeing the group's leaders, who are being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS).
A DSS operative, identified as BBB, testified as the second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of five men accused of involvement in the attacks. He said the terrorists submitted a list of 30 leaders and members they wanted released and threatened to kill the victims if the government refused.
The defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara'a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
The prosecution said the defendants are from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, Daura Local Government Area of Katsina State and Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Oyedepo Rotimi (SAN), the witness said security agencies mounted a rescue operation after the Federal Government rejected the terrorists' demands and refused to negotiate.
BBB said he knew the defendants through his official duties, especially the first defendant, Muhammad, whom he described as one of the founding members of Boko Haram.
He said Muhammad served as the group's head of security and intelligence before leaving in 2012 with other members to form ANSARU. According to him, Muhammad's father was from Okene in Kogi State, while his mother was from Borno State.
The witness said ANSARU was set up to promote the group's ideology of Islamic governance in Nigeria and to carry out attacks on foreign nationals. He explained that members believed foreigners were killing Muslims abroad, which they used to justify kidnapping and killing them.
He recalled that the group's killing of seven foreign nationals in 2014 led the United States to designate ANSARU a terrorist organisation and declare Muhammad a globally wanted terrorist.
BBB said Muhammad later took over as ANSARU leader and directed several kidnapping and killing operations, naming the second defendant, Abbas, head of operations.
The witness said, "He (Mahmud Mohammed) led the attack on the Emir of Potiskum. 17 military officers and three civilians were also killed in one of the operations he carried out.
"He was arrested in 2025. It is part of their ideology that once any of their leaders are arrested, they will do anything to ensure their release. When Abu Bara'a (Muhammad) became the leader of ANSARU, he made the second defendant the head of operations.
"When the first defendant was arrested, the second defendant identified high-profile operations to be carried out to ensure that he is released. On November 4, 2025, they attacked the convoy of a House of Representatives member."
The witness identified the lawmaker as Jafaru Mohammed Ali, who represents Agwara/Borgu. He said the attack killed four military personnel and injured four DSS operatives.
According to him, the operation was aimed at abducting the lawmaker and using him to negotiate the release of the group's leaders.
"The reason for the attack was to kidnap him and negotiate for the release of the leaders, among whom are the first and second defendants.
"Their plan was to kidnap him, humiliate him publicly, and demand that the FG release the first and second defendants who were in custody. They also planned to attack Wawa Military Base in New Busa, Niger State, because they thought their members were being kept there," he said.
BBB told the court that after the planned attack on Wawa Military Base failed, ANSARU members moved to the South-West, believing media organisations in the region could publicise their demands and pressure the government to release their detained leaders and other members.
He said he took part in the investigation of the Oriire attacks, adding that ANSARU members abducted their victims and took them to a secure location in a forest near the Old Oyo National Park.
BBB said, "The attacks were carried out by members of the ANSARU group. When they carried out the attack, they moved the victims to a secured location in a forest close to Old Oyo National Park.
"They made a demand and submitted a list of 30 members, including their leaders, to the government, warning that if their demands were not met, they would kill the victims.
"They were very hostile. The security agencies later launched an offensive at the forest. They shot at the security operatives and slaughtered one of the victims and threatened to kill others if there were efforts to rescue the victims."
The witness said security operatives decided to launch a rescue operation after the terrorists killed two of the abducted victims, citing the group's history of killing innocent people.
He said one of the strategies used by security agencies was to arrest the wife of the second defendant and relatives of commanders involved in the attacks.
BBB said, "Security men took the wife of the second defendant, including other family members of the commanders, who were active then. They were warned that if they killed any victims, their family members would also be killed.
"That was what led to the stoppage of the killing of the victims until the rescue operation was carried out. Two victims were killed in the Oriire attack."
Explaining the alleged roles of the third, fourth and fifth defendants, the witness said they were ANSARU members who communicated with some of the group's commanders, including a commander holding the Oriire victims.
He said the attacks were carried out in line with an ideology set by the group's leaders, under which members were expected to strike whenever senior members were arrested, in order to force the government to free them.
BBB said the perpetrators tried to pressure the government into releasing the detained leaders, but the Federal Government refused to negotiate.
He added, "They (the terrorists) submitted a list, including the names of the first and second defendants, whom they wanted the government to release; else they will kill all the victims.
"Security agencies were able to secure the release of the victims. But unfortunately, we lost security personnel, including a senior police officer and an Army officer. Two of the victims were also murdered prior to the rescue operation," the witness said.
Further hearing in the case is scheduled to resume on Tuesday at 9am before Justice Salim Ibrahim.
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