Innocent man arrested over Oyo school kidnapping finally freed as DSS pays him ₦3 million

• Mustapha Marwana was arrested after 46 pupils and teachers were abducted from schools in Oriire, Oyo State.

• A DSS investigation found no evidence linking the carpenter to Ansaru or the attack.

• The agency released him and awarded him ₦3 million to help rebuild his life.

A carpenter arrested in connection with the abduction and killing of pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, has been released by the Department of State Services after investigators found no evidence linking him to the attack, and paid ₦3 million in compensation.

Mustapha Marwana, a Katsina-born artisan, was arrested following the May 15 attack on three schools in the area, in which 39 pupils and seven teachers were abducted. Two victims were killed before the remaining hostages were freed on July 10 following a military operation.

According to a security source familiar with the case, a DSS panel carried out a detailed investigation into Marwana's alleged involvement before clearing him entirely. The panel found no evidence tying him to membership, financing, logistics or any operational role connected to the Ansaru terrorist group blamed for the attack.

Following the review, DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi ordered Marwana's immediate release and approved an initial ₦3 million in compensation to help him meet his immediate needs and rebuild his livelihood. He was handed over to his lawyer, Oghene Forgive, upon his discharge from custody.

Marwana reportedly described the DSS leadership's decision as a compassionate and humane intervention, saying it had given him the opportunity to start rebuilding his life. Forgive also thanked the DG for his role in establishing his client's innocence.

According to the source, the compensation is part of a broader pattern under the current DSS leadership, aimed at supporting individuals cleared after investigation and helping them reintegrate into society. The source noted that the DSS has paid out more than ₦300 million in similar compensation since Ajayi's appointment.

A similar case played out in June, when the DSS released Nura Idris, a farmer and livestock rearer from Soba, Kaduna State, after clearing him of alleged links to Boko Haram.

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Idris had been arrested by a separate security agency in Suleja, Niger State, back in 2024, before being transferred into DSS custody. He was also awarded ₦3 million in compensation, along with a pledge from the agency to help him rebuild his livestock business.

This is also presumed by a ₦20 million payout to a Sokoto-based businessman shot during a 2016 raid due to mistaken identity, and a ₦10 million payment to an Abuja-based businesswoman released in October 2025.