The landmark judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, July 23, 2026, sentencing three of the terrorists involved in the horrific kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Ogbomoso to life imprisonment, is a significant victory for the rule of law. The convicts met their judicial fate after pleading guilty to charges bordering on terrorism, concealment of information, and membership in a proscribed terrorist organisation. While this represents a major milestone, we must recognise that this is not the absolute end of their trial. A formal adjournment has been set for September 2026, where they will face justice for the remaining counts to which they pleaded not guilty. I welcome this initial judgment in its entirety, and I eagerly look forward to even stiffer and maximum penalties being handed down to them once they are inevitably convicted of the remaining charges.
 
This swift judicial outcome speaks volumes to the commendable readiness and capacity of our legal system to expedite trials concerning high-profile criminal activities. The speed with which this case was processed sends a clear message: kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism have absolutely no breathing space in our society. For law enforcement and deterrence to truly work, the wheels of justice must spin without unnecessary bureaucratic gridlock. I must highly commend the Federal Government’s judicial team, ably led by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, for the exceptional diligence and patriotism they deployed in prosecuting this case. Their rigorous execution ensures that state power firmly protects the vulnerable.
 
However, while a life sentence removes these individual monsters from our streets, we must boldly confront the inadequacy of our current statutory punishments for such extreme evils. 
 
I am using this medium to passionately call on the legislative arm of government to immediately review our laws and legislate significantly harsher penalties for heinous crimes of this magnitude. In truth, life imprisonment feels vastly insufficient for hardened, remorseless terrorists who do not blink at the thought of slaughtering (and filming) human beings, taking innocent children hostage, and terrorising educational institutions. Our society must meet these enemies of humanity with an unapologetically frank face. The state must speak to them in the absolute harshest language they understand, and ensure that the ultimate price is paid by anyone who wages war against the peace of our nation.
 
For the good people of Oyo State, particularly the traumatised families in Ogbomoso and the Oriire axis, this court judgment brings some sense of partial relief. Knowing that the cold-blooded perpetrators of this nightmare will spend the rest of their natural lives locked behind bars—robbed of the recourse to ever harm another innocent soul—provides a vital stepping stone toward communal healing. Our agrarian communities and schools can rest a bit easier knowing that the arm of justice has firmly crushed these actors. We are gradually reclaiming our peace, and we cannot wait to breathe that eventual, total sigh of relief when the remaining trials are fully concluded in September.
 
In this very sensitive moment, we must let this judgment serve as a historic blueprint for our progressive future. A "Realistic Tomorrow" for Oyo State relies heavily on the solid intersection of absolute security, swift justice, and unwavering institutional accountability. We must continue to stand in total solidarity with our military, our intelligence agencies, and our legal officers as they sweep our forests and sanitise our courtrooms. The state has proven its supremacy over terror in this instance, and we will not relent until every single criminal element attempting to destabilise our communities is permanently rooted out and cast into the ash heap of history.
 
~ Dr. Adewale Kolapo Kareem (AKK)
Former Oyo State Governorship Aspirant
APC… PROGRESS!
AKK! Aseyori ni tiwa
AKK!! Ajọṣe, Ajoje
AKK!!! A Task That Must Be Done.
Saturday, July 25 2026