The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two women linked to a notorious bandit leader to 20 years imprisonment each for terrorism-related offences, with both sentences running concurrently.
The convicts, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and later prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
According to court records, the women are the mother and sister of Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, a suspected terrorist and bandit kingpin who was reportedly killed by Nigerian security forces on June 10, 2026, during an operation near Iluke in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Delivering judgment, Justice Hauwa Yilwa sentenced the defendants after they pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges, including aiding and abetting the activities of a known bandit leader and concealing information relevant to terrorist operations.
The prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecution, Oyedepo Rotimi (SAN), requested the court to strike out two of the five counts filed against the defendants and proceed with convictions on the remaining charges to which they had entered guilty pleas.
According to the charge, the women knowingly assisted Battujo by relaying information to him through telephone communications, an act the prosecution argued constituted support for terrorist activities under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Safiya Salihu was further convicted for concealing information relating to the terrorist activities of her son, while Halima Abdullahi was found guilty of withholding information concerning the illegal possession of firearms by her brother after visiting his forest hideout.
The court struck out separate allegations relating to the receipt of ₦490,300 allegedly linked to proceeds of terrorism and claims that the funds were used to sponsor a religious pilgrimage.
Justice Yilwa ruled that the prison terms would run concurrently and further directed that both convicts undergo rehabilitation upon completion of their sentences.
The judgment highlights ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to strengthen accountability and prosecute individuals found to have supported or facilitated terrorism and banditry activities across the country.
