A High Court sitting in Sokoto State has sentenced three men to death by hanging after finding them guilty of terrorism-related offences and illegal arms proliferation.
The convicts, identified as Yusuf Muhammad, also known as Sallau, a Nigerien national, Jabbi Alhaji Yalle, and Kabiru Muhammad, were arrested on June 13, 2025, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) Counter-Terrorism Unit. Security investigations linked the trio to cross-border criminal activities involving arms trafficking and support for terrorist operations.
Delivering judgment, Justice Bello held that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court consequently pronounced the death sentence on all three defendants and ordered that all cash exhibits and other proceeds recovered from them be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The judgment marks another significant milestone in the ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to dismantle networks involved in terrorism financing and the illegal movement of weapons across the country’s borders. Security agencies have intensified operations against criminal syndicates accused of supplying arms and logistics to terrorists and bandits operating in different parts of the country.
The Sokoto verdict comes barely one week after a Federal High Court in Katsina sentenced a female arms courier, Hauwa’u Mukhtar, to death. She had been apprehended by the DSS while allegedly transporting 438 rounds of ammunition intended for delivery to a notorious bandit kingpin. The court found her guilty after prosecutors presented evidence linking her to the illicit supply chain.
Similarly, four suspects—Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, and Abdulhaleem Idris—were previously convicted and sentenced to death by a Federal High Court in Abuja over their involvement in the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The attack, which claimed the lives of more than 40 worshippers, shocked the nation and drew widespread condemnation.
In another recent case, the Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja handed down a death sentence to Jibrin Halilu after he was convicted for conspiracy, kidnapping and the murder of a prominent hotel owner in Obajana, Kogi State. Halilu had also been arrested and investigated by the DSS before being prosecuted.
The recent series of convictions underscores the growing determination of the Nigerian judiciary and security agencies to impose stiff penalties on individuals involved in terrorism, kidnapping and other violent crimes threatening national security. Authorities maintain that sustained collaboration between intelligence agencies, law enforcement bodies and the courts remains essential in combating insecurity and ensuring justice for victims.
Security experts believe the convictions could serve as a deterrent to criminal elements while reinforcing public confidence in the country’s counter-terrorism efforts. However, legal experts note that the sentences remain subject to the appellate process, as the convicts retain the constitutional right to challenge the judgments in higher courts.
