…demand death sentence
By Ime Silas and Kehinde Jacobs
ABUJA — The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday handed down life imprisonment to three men convicted of abducting schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, but the ruling has triggered nationwide outrage, with many Nigerians describing the punishment as too soft and demanding the death penalty instead.
Justice Salim Ibrahim delivered the judgment after the convicts pleaded guilty to charges bordering on kidnapping, terrorism and unlawful detention. The three men were arrested in connection with a 2026 raid on a public school in Oyo that saw pupils and several teachers abducted and held for weeks before a security operation secured their release.
In court, defence counsel pleaded for leniency, asking the judge to grant the men “a second chance at life.” The lawyers argued that the convicts were remorseful, had cooperated with investigators, and that lengthy jail terms would further punish their dependent wives, children, and aged parents who rely on them for survival.
Justice Ibrahim rejected the appeal for liberal terms. He held that the gravity of kidnapping children and educators warranted the maximum custodial punishment available under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.
“The court is mindful of mitigation, but it is also mindful of the victims and the society,” the judge said. “Life imprisonment is hereby imposed. The term shall be calculated from the exact date of their initial arrest.”
The judge did not name the victims in open court, citing their status as minors.
Public outrage…
Within hours of the judgment, social media platforms, radio call-in shows and community groups in Oyo and beyond were flooded with criticism. The phrase “life is not enough” trended across X and Facebook as Nigerians debated whether the court had matched the punishment to the crime.
Our paper learnt that in Oyo State, parents and relatives of the kidnapped schoolchildren fumed, describing the judgement as an “encouragement for more kidnappings to be carried out by the dare-devil kidnappers”.
“We are tired of burying our children and then watching their abductors get fed in prison,” said Mrs. Folake Adebayo, a parent-teacher association leader.
“These people targeted children. They traumatized an entire community in Oriire. Life imprisonment means they can still get pardon in 10 or 15 years. We want death penalty to be activated.”
The sentiment was echoed widely online. Many commenters argued that Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom crisis has escalated precisely because courts are perceived to be lenient. Others shared graphic accounts of how the Oriire abduction left pupils unable to return to school months later, citing anxiety, nightmares, dropouts and even deaths.
A Threads post that gathered over 12,000 shares read: “You kidnap children, you destroy a generation, and the court gives you three meals a day for life? Justice Salim means well, but Nigerians want deterrence, not rehabilitation for murderous kidnappers.”
The legal argument
Legal analysts note that Justice Ibrahim was bound by the charges filed by the prosecution. Under current federal law, kidnapping that involves terrorism or leads to death can attract the death penalty, but where no death is recorded, life imprisonment is the ceiling.
“The defence played the mitigation card very well — guilty plea, remorse, dependents,” said Abuja-based lawyer Barr. Emeka Nwosu.
“But the judge also sent a message: the court will not treat school abductions as ordinary crime. Life from the date of arrest means they get no credit for time spent negotiating.”
The prosecution had told the court that the convicts were part of a syndicate that surveilled the Oriire school for weeks, attacked in the early hours, and demanded ransom before security forces tracked them to a forest camp. Two teachers suffered injuries during the rescue.
Why The Call For Death Penalty?
The Oyo State Kidnapping (Prohibition) Bill 2016 signed into law by Governor Abiola Ajimobi (as he then was) stipulates capital punishment for kidnapping if the victim dies in the course of the abduction.
In the incident under review, the attack happened on 15th May, 2026 in Oriire LGA, Oyo State, when armed men attacked 3 schools and abducted 49 pupils, teachers, and a toddler.
Two (2) residents were killed during the invasion. Three (3) deaths were recorded in total from the kidnapping itself, including one teacher who was beheaded in captivity. That teacher was identified as Michael Oyedokun.
Another teacher, Esiyan Adegboye, was also reported killed and his body recovered, while the Oyo SUBEB also confirmed the killing of a teacher in the attack.
According to Governor Seyi Makinde, civilians and military personnel lost their lives from the kidnappers’ firepower during the process.
The Oyo state government later published a list of 9 people killed during the abduction and rescue operation to include four (4) civilians and five (5) military/security personnel.
The civilians who died were Michael Oyedokun, John Olaleye, Joel Adesiyan, and Oluwasegun Akanni.
Security personnel were Lieutenant Felix Ademe Isaac, Adigun Saibu, Isa Saliu, Rafiu Ayuba, and an unnamed soldier.
But the convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment in line with the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, instead of death, as stipulated by the Laws of Oyo State.
A stiff rejectionÂ
The ruling has brought to the fore a swift rejection as gleaned from public opinion. A majority on social media and in Oyo are demanding capital punishment.
“The pain is real, and the anger is justified,” said a Lagos-based child protection advocate who asked not to be named.
On radio stations in Ogbomoso and Oyo town, callers dismissed calls for “human rights for kidnappers” and demanded legislative amendments to make death mandatory for any abduction involving minors.
Governor of Oyo State, who visited Oriire after the incident, has not commented on the sentencing as of press time. The state Ministry of Education said counseling services remain in place for the affected pupils.
For many Nigerians, though, the case is now a referendum on how the country treats crimes against children. “Life imprisonment feels like the court is balancing the books,” said a commenter from Port Harcourt. “We are saying: children are not negotiable. If you touch them, you forfeit your own life.”
As the debate rages, pressure is mounting on the National Assembly to review penalties for mass abductions, particularly those targeting schools.
It was, in their words, the beginning of another fight — for a punishment they believe fits the crime.
