A witness in the ongoing trial of alleged members of the Ansaru terror group has confirmed the identities of two teachers who were killed during the abduction of students and staff of a school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, telling the Federal High Court in Abuja that other victims recovered their bodies.
The witness, code-named AAA, who was among the victims of the Oriire school abduction, however, told the court that she was not present when the two teachers, identified as Michael Oyedokun and John Olaleye, were beheaded by their abductors.
She said Oyedokun was killed at Camp A, while Olaleye was killed at another camp, adding that she could not provide specific details about the individuals who carried out the killings because she did not witness the incidents.
The witness also recounted the harsh conditions the victims endured in captivity, saying their abductors fed them only when it was convenient for them, despite the presence of children as young as 18 months among the victims. According to her, the victims were subjected to severe trauma during and after their 56-day ordeal in captivity.
Under cross-examination by counsel to the five accused persons, Mister Bala Dakum, the witness said the abductors provided food at their own convenience and did not appear to consider the needs of the younger children in the group.
She also disclosed that the abductors used the victims’ mobile phones to communicate with government officials during the captivity, but said she did not know the phone numbers of the officials contacted.
The witness further told the court that following their rescue by security operatives, she was interrogated by operatives of the Department of State Services, both at the agency’s office and while she was receiving treatment in hospital.
In response to questions from the defence counsel, AAA admitted that three of the five defendants currently standing trial were with the victims in the forest during their captivity. She said the victims only learnt about the identities of the other two defendants during interrogation at the DSS office after their rescue.
The witness maintained that although she knew that Oyedokun and Olaleye had been killed, she was not at the scenes of the killings and therefore could not identify the specific abductors responsible for their deaths.
Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim then adjourned the case until October 12 and 13 for continuation of the trial.
