A court has handed down life sentences to three convicts in the Oyo school kidnapping case

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in connection with the kidnapping of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of ​​Oyo State.

Judge Salim Ibrahim delivered the verdict, ordering life sentences starting from the date of arrest of the three convicts.

The sentences follow those handed down to the defendants in connection with the school kidnapping, a case that drew national attention to the increasing security challenges facing educational institutions.

Before the court announced its verdict, the convicts’ legal advisors pleaded for mercy, and urged the judge to hand down a lighter sentence.

Defense attorneys argued that the three men were first-time offenders who had admitted their guilt by pleading guilty to the charges brought against them.

He further stated that their guilty pleas reflected regret and cooperation with the justice process, stating that the offenses they committed did not directly involve kidnapping.

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Lawyers also appealed to the court to take into account the personal circumstances of the convicts, noting that they are married with children and have elderly parents who rely on them for financial and emotional support.

Therefore, he urged the court to give them “a second chance at life” by imposing leniency.

But prosecutors rejected the request, insisting that the convicts deserved a heavy sentence because they knew in advance who was responsible for the criminal operation.

According to prosecutors, the defendants failed in their civil responsibilities by withholding information that could have helped security agencies prevent or investigate the crime, even though they knew who was involved.

After considering the submissions of both parties, Judge Ibrahim rejected the application for leniency and ordered the three convicts to serve life imprisonment, with the prison sentences taking effect from the date of their arrest.

The decision concludes another phase of prosecution arising from the kidnapping of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of ​​Oyo State, strengthening the judiciary’s stance on crimes involving attacks on schools and educational institutions.