The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced two women arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for their involvement with terrorism to forty years in prison.
\nThe convicted women, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, are mother and sister respectively of the terrorist kingpin, Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, who was eliminated by Nigerian security forces, on June 10, 2026, in a forest near Iluke in Kabba\/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State,<\/p>\n
Justice Hauwa Joseph Yilwa handed the sentences after both women pleaded guilty to Counts 2, 4 and 5 of the five-count terrorism-related charge brought against them by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.<\/p>\n
Both women escaped conviction on Counts 1 and 3, which bordered on they receiving N490,300 from Battujo, fully aware it was proceeds of terrorism, as well as Count 3, which was on their sponsored holy pilgrimage with the proceeds of terrorism. The Director of Public Prosecution, Oyedepo Rotimi, SAN, urged the court to strike out both counts, but convict them on the others.
\nAccording to Count 2, both women
\n“aided and abetted the activities of Battujo, a known bandit Kingpin and passed information through telephone
\nconversations to the said Battujo, and thereby committed an
\noffence contrary to and punishable under section 26 of the
\nterrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
\nIn addition to pleading guilty to Count 2, Battujo’s mum pleaded guilty to Count 5 which bordered on concealment of information on the terrorism activities of her son.
\nOn her part, Halima, who is sister of the eliminated terrorist kingpin, in addition to pleading guilty to Count 2, also pleaded guilty to Count 4 which also bordered on concealment of information that her brother illegally acquired firearms which she saw when she visited his forest camp.
\nWhile the punishment for each of the Counts is 20 years, Justice Yilwa ordered that the sentences run concurrently, after which the convicts will undergo rehabilitation.<\/p>\n
The Counts are:<\/p>\n
1.
\nThat you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult,
\nof Dungun Muaza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at
\nKatsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit
\nan offence, when you received the sum of four hundred and ninety,
\nthousand, three hundred Naira only (N490,300) from Battujo a known
\nterrorist, which sum you reasonably ought to know formed part
\nof the proceeds of Terrorism, and thereby committed an offence
\ncontrary to and punishable under the section 21 of the
\nTerrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.<\/p>\n
Count 2.
\nThat you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult,
\nof Dungun Muaza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at
\nKatsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit
\nan offence, when you aided and abetted the activities of Battujo a
\nknown bandit Kingpin and passed information through telephone
\nconversations to the said Battujo, and thereby committed an
\noffence contrary to and punishable under section 26 of the
\nterrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.<\/p>\n
Count 3:
\nThat you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult,
\nof Dungun Mu’aza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at
\nKatsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit
\nan offence when you received sponsorship to travel for Hajj Pilgrimage
\nfrom one BATTUJO a known bandit Kingpin from funds you
\nreasonably ought to know formed part of Terrorism, and thereby
\ncommitted an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21
\nof the terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.<\/p>\n
Count 4
\nThat you SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult, of Dungun Mu’aza Sabuwa
\nLGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the
\njurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence concealed
\ninformation about the activities of Battujo a known bandit Kingpin
\nwhen you visited his forest camp and saw him in possession of firearms,
\nan information which you knew to be of material assistance in securing
\nhis apprehension, but failed to disclose such information to any
\nlaw enforcement or security officer as soon as reasonably
\npracticable and thereby committed an offence contrary to and
\npunishable under Section 16 of the terrorism (Prevention
\nProhibition) Act, 2022.<\/p>\n
Count 5:
\nThat you HALIMA ABDULLAHI, Female, adult, of Dungun Mu’aza
\nSabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the
\njurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence when you
\nconcealed information about the activities of Battujo a suspected
\nbandit Kingpin, an information which you knew to be of material
\nassistance in securing his apprehension, but failed to disclose such
\ninformation to any law enforcement or security officer as soon
\nas reasonably practicable and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 16 of the terrorism
\n(Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced two women arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for their involvement with terrorism to forty years in prison. The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":127747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n