A Federal High Court in Abuja heard on Monday that international terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda supported members of the proscribed terrorist group Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) in carrying out the May 15 attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The court also heard that the attacks were intended to force the Federal Government to release the group’s leaders, who had been arrested and were being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS).

A prosecution witness identified as BBB told the court that, after abducting students and teachers during the attacks, the terrorists submitted a list of 30 leaders and members whom they demanded the Federal Government release, threatening to kill the victims if their demands were not met.

BBB, a DSS operative, testified as the second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of five men accused of being members of ANSARU and conspiring in the Oriire attacks.

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.

According to the prosecution, 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 (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, BBB said security agents’ operation to rescue the abducted victims followed the Federal Government’s refusal to negotiate with the terrorists or accede to their demands.

The witness said he knew all five defendants through his official duties. He said he had known the first defendant, Muhammad, in Maiduguri as one of the founding members of Boko Haram, where he once served as head of security and intelligence.

According to him, Muhammad’s father is from Okene, Kogi State, while his mother is from Borno State. He said Muhammad was among those who left Boko Haram in 2012 to establish ANSARU, with the aim of propagating their ideology of establishing Islamic governance in Nigeria and attacking foreign nationals.

The witness said members of the group believed that foreign nationals were killing their Muslim brothers abroad, a belief that informed their decision to abduct and kill foreigners.

He recalled that the group’s killing of seven foreign nationals in 2014 led the United States to designate ANSARU as a terrorist organisation and declare Muhammad a globally wanted terrorist.

BBB said Muhammad subsequently led a series of kidnapping and killing operations after assuming ANSARU’s leadership, appointing the second defendant, Abbas, as head of operations.

The witness said: “He (Mahmud Mohammed) led the attack on the Emir of Potiskum. Seventeen 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 was 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.

“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.

“When the attack on Wawa failed, members of ANSARU strategically relocated to the South-West, where they believed there were media houses to help amplify their demands to make the FG agree to the release of the first and second defendants and other of their members being held by the state.”

BBB said he was aware of the Oriire attacks and had participated in the investigation.

He 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 Oriire victims, adding that the group had a history of killing innocent people without restraint.

He said one of the strategies adopted by the security agencies was to arrest the wife of the second defendant and family members of those allegedly responsible for 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 how he knew the third, fourth, and fifth defendants, the witness said: “They are members of the ANSARU group that were in communication with some of the commanders, particularly one of the commanders, who was holding the Oriire victims.”

He said ANSARU members carried out the Oriire attacks in furtherance of an ideology established by the group’s leaders, the first and second defendants. Under that ideology, members were expected to launch a series of operations or attacks to force the Federal Government to release detained senior leaders.

BBB said those responsible for the Oriire attacks had sought to pressure the government into releasing their 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.”

Further hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 am before Justice Salim Ibrahim.