The armed bandits behind the mass abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State have broken their silence, listing four audacious conditions before they will release their captives.

The gunmen struck three schools across the Esinele, Yawota, and Alawusa communities in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15. Now, they are negotiating with high-stakes demands that blend massive financial extortion with terrorism-linked ultimatums.

The 4 Major Demands

According to security reports, the kidnappers have laid out the following conditions to the government:

  1. ₦1 Billion Ransom: The criminals are demanding a whopping ₦1 billion, with a bizarre twist—they want the money transferred to a bank account based in the neighboring Republic of Benin.

  2. Release of Two Terrorist Leaders: They are demanding the immediate freedom of two high-profile, detained commanders currently facing trial.

  3. Logistics: The provision of two brand-new Toyota Hilux vehicles.

  4. Ideological Shift: The official acceptance and implementation of Sharia-related law in the region.

Who Are the Terrorist Leaders They Want Freed?

The two men the kidnappers are fighting to release are top figures in Ansaru (Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan), a notoriously violent splinter group of Boko Haram.

The group is infamous for orchestrating several high-profile assaults in Nigeria, including the brazen 2022 Kuje Prison break.

  • Mahmud Usman (Alias: Abu Bara’a / Abbas Mukhtar): The primary leader. He was arrested between May and July 2025 and is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). Usman has already been convicted on separate charges of illegal mining, which he confessed was used to fund weapons for mass kidnappings.

  • Abubakar Abba (Alias: Isah Adam / Mahmud Al-Nigeri / Mallam Mamuda): Usman’s direct deputy. He has pleaded not guilty to multiple terrorism counts and is currently undergoing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Dilemma for Security Agencies

This development complicates the rescue mission significantly. By demanding the release of heavily guarded federal terrorism suspects and routing financial demands through an international account in Benin Republic, the kidnappers have elevated a local abduction into a major national security crisis.

As the Federal High Court trials for the Ansaru leaders continue in Abuja, security agencies are under intense pressure to safely rescue the innocent pupils and teachers without capitulating to the terrorists' dangerous demands.

What do you think is the best approach for the government in this situation? Should they negotiate, or should a full military rescue operation be launched? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.